More than 460 billion rials ($15.76 million at official exchange rate) have been allocated to the expansion of Mehran Border Terminal on the Iran-Iraq border in preparation for Arbaeen—a religious ceremony that marks the end of the 40-day mourning period for the third Shia Imam, said the head of Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization. The terminal enjoys an acceptable capacity in normal circumstances, but in recent years its passenger traffic surged as pilgrims from across the country and other neighboring states head to the holy shrines via the terminal, Mehr News Agency cited Davoud Keshavarzian as saying. To relieve the prospective overcrowding, a series of development projects are underway, including but not limited to adding 78 gates in the terminal, he maintained.
