Iranian minister underscores strategic importance of new bridge over Araz River

Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash has said that the new bridge over the Araz River is of a strategic nature and will make a great contribution to the expansion of economic ties and trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Iran.

While answering journalists’ questions, Bazrpash noted that the Aghband Bridge will connect Iran and Azerbaijan not only by road but also by railway, according to Azertag.

The railway will stretch from Aghband through Iran to Julfa city in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Construction of the road will take one year.

The minister said that a customs checkpoint and terminal will also be built here in accordance with the agreement with Azerbaijan. The new bridge will create ample opportunities for the development of transit cargo transportation.

The railway bridge over the Araz River near the Aghband settlement is a continuation of the Horadiz-Aghband railway. The construction process of the Horadiz-Aghband railway, the foundation of which was laid in February 2021, continues in three stages.

The length of the railway is 110.4 kilometres along the axis. The first stage of the Horadiz-Aghband railway covers a section of 30 kilometres and includes Horadiz, Marjanli, and Mahmudlu stations, the second stage (55 kilometres) covers Soltanli, Gumlag, Hakari and Minjivan stations, the third stage (25.4 kilometres) covers the territory from Minjivan to Bartaz-Aghband station.

In total, the project covers nine stations (Horadiz, Marjanli, Mahmudlu, Soltanli, Gumlag, Hakari, Minjivan, Bartaz, Aghband). About 300 engineering facilities, including 41 bridges, three tunnels, three drain systems, and seven overpasses, are planned to be built here. Construction and installation work on the project is planned to be completed this year.