Turkish firm to construct tunnel in KRG

DUHOK

Turkish Limak group has signed an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to design and construct the Gali Zakho tunnel. The groundbreaking ceremony for the $136 million tunnel was held with KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and Deputy Prime Minister Imad Ahmed in attendance.

The Turkish company won a tender for a 2-by-2 lane highway tunnel with an offer of $136 million. The 3,590-meter tunnel is planned to be completed in 30 months and to connect the cities of Duhok and Zakho.

“This is our first construction project in the region, which is a lot to us,” Nihat Özdemir, chairman of Limak group, said at the ceremony, adding that the group has now undertaken big construction projects in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan among others. Özdemir noted that the tunnel would be make a considerable contribution to the KRG economy as well as its modernization process.