BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 19. A new bridge over Astarachay River, which connects Iran and Azerbaijan, has reduced the truck congestion in the Iranian city of Astara by a third, Iran's Road and Urban Development Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash, said, Trend reports.
Bazrpash said that the truck queues in Iran’s Astara would disappear once the construction work around the bridge and the transit road were completed.
The minister also added that an online queuing system is being implemented in the Iranian city of Astara to eliminate truck queues.
The old bridge over Astarachay River, which had been in use since the Second World War, could only accommodate 300-350 trucks per day. However, the demand for trade, cargo and transit between Iran and Azerbaijan by land in Astara often exceeded this capacity, resulting in up to 700 trucks lining up to cross the border.
The new bridge over Astarachay River, which cost 5.8 million euros to build, was opened on December 30, 2023. The bridge has 3 spans, and measures 97.5 meters in length and 30.5 meters in width. However, the bridge is not fully operational yet, as some buildings around it are still under construction. The foundation of the new bridge over Astarachay River was laid on January 25, 2022.
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