Due to some technical deficiencies, the project was delayed but the resourceful Iranian experts found out solutions for the problems and resumed the construction operations.

“The Tabriz-Urmia highway is to be extended towards the Tahrchin border marketplace,” he said and added that the comprehensive transportation plan of the East Azerbaijan province has been prepared for allocation of budget.

Emphasizing on the importance of creating the necessary infrastructures for development of road transportation sector in the province, he said that the government has attached priority for development of road and rail transportation sectors.

The road, rail and sea transportation networks are interlinked connecting the origins and destination, he observed.

The system of budgeting is to be amended, he said adding there is no developed law for development and management of human resources in the country. Efficient and innovative managers are keys to development of the country.

Four hundred fifty meters of the deck of Urmia Lake Bridge has been installed, Dr. Qorbani= governor general of the province said. People should be cognizant of the trend of progress of this national project, he added.

Technical problems which caused a 4-mounth hiatus in the executive operations have fully removed by the Iranian experts so that the foreign contractors of the project have commended capabilities of Iranian engineers.

Hopefully, scientific and research centers would investigate the executive operation of the project thoroughly, he said.

  Based on the scheduled plan, 45 days (as of Dec. 10, 2007) has been stipulated for installation of the arched part and completion of the first two-way lane of the bridge, he added.

  Executive operations for installing the deck of the first lane on concrete trusses (Casons) are underway at both sides of the bridge. So far six spans form the Tabriz and three spans from the Urmia sides have been completed, he observed.

  To date, the project has been progressed by 76 per-cent said and added that 800 billion rials has been invested in the project out of which 100 billion rials has been paid as banking facilities to Iran sadra company as the Iranian contractor of the project, Zamiri added.

  For his part, Farzad safamaher one of the technical engineers of the project said that the Urmia Lake Bridge is 27 meters wide comprising two 2-way lanes each 9.5 meters in width. A lane of 5 meters wide in the middle of the bridge for trains and two 1.5-m sidewalks at the two sides of the bridge have been designed.

  The bridge will be 1276 meters long and will be six meters high above the lake at the middle. The 14 trusses, 4 vertical and 16 slanting beams have been planted 80 meters deep in the seabed.

  Two concrete piers in the middle of the arched parting beams. Two abutments out of the 18 Casons have been installed at the junction of road with the lake. Adverse climatic condition has somehow slowed down the progressive trend of the work but we keep on the work in two shifts.

  The amount of oxygen in Urmia Lake is 30 times less than that of the open waters, he said. This issue has reduced the erosion of the bridge’s metal piers to only one centimeter in a century, he added.

  It is noteworthy that the bridge is to be built aiming at creating a balance between the water of north and south of the Lake and protecting the ecosystem of the Lake.

  By commissioning of the Urmia Lake cantilever bridge the distance between border cities of the country and nor them Iraq and Turkey will be cut by 200 Kilometers.