Shafaq News- Diyala
The Hamrin Lake Bridge in northeastern Diyala was shut to all trafficafter landslides damaged its approach roads, a source told Shafaq News onMonday.
Vehicles, including cars and trucks, have been barred from using thecountry’s longest bridge, with traffic redirected to the Imam Wais road. Thediversion has slowed movement between Baqubah and Khanaqin, forcing a majordetour that adds more than an hour to key travel routes in the KurdistanRegion.
Heavy rainfall recently raised water levels in Lake Hamrin, triggeringstructural collapse near the bridge and prompting authorities to close thecrossing over safety concerns for motorists.
Stretching more than seven kilometers, the project has already cost morethan 60 billion Iraqi dinars ($39.06 million). Local authorities opened the newcrossing to traffic more than a month ago, before construction was fullycompleted, after waves from the lake damaged the old bridge.