Tehran, December 30, 2023 (MRUD NEWS)—During the provincial visit of Iran Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Mehrdad Bazrpash, to Ardabil Province in the northwest of Iran today, the Astarachay border bridge at Iran, Azerbaijan border across the Astarachay River is opened. 

The opening is with the presence of the heads of Iran, Azerbaijan Joint Economic Commission Mehrdad Bazrpash and Shahin Mustafayev. 

The construction of the Astarachay automobile border bridge was started in April 2022. 

The bridge length is 89 m, width 30.6 m, and side walk width 2.5 m in 4 traffic lanes and is constructed with €5.8 million credit. 

The bridge project is expected to boost trade and cooperation between the two neighboring countries and diversify transport between Iran and Azerbaijan. 

The bridge has been built by the Azerbaijan at a distance of 50 meters from the northern side of the Astara railway bridge so that empty trucks can enter Iran via this bridge as a temporary road access to the temporary border terminal of Astara. But loaded trucks use the old bridge and terminal in their return trip. 

The area of the temporary border terminal of Astara has been equipped for trucks and barricade has been installed on the intersection. 

Iran and Azerbaijan signed a MOU in January 2022 for cooperation in constructing the bridge over the Astarachay border bridge. The MOU was signed by Iran Deputy Minister, Kheirollah Khademi and Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rahman Hummatov, in Baku.

In his visit to Ardabil, Bazrpash also inaugurated 6,600 urban and rural houses within the 'National Housing Movement' plan and visited the 175-km Miyaneh-Ardabil Railway which is currently under construction. 

Including this inaugerated Bridge, the MoU for the construction of Aghbend road bridge over Aras River was also formally kicked off in October 2023 during the visit of Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development to Azerbaijan and the MoU for a railroad bridge was also reached. The project is meant to form a new transit route, the Aras Corridor, in order to link the East Zangezur economic region of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through Iran's territory. The Corridor stretches from Aghbend to Jolfa and is important for Azerbaijan, Iran and the region as a whole.