Baghdad Advances Infrastructure Projects Amidst Financial Challenges; Karbala Tackles Housing Crisis

Baghdad Municipality continues its vital infrastructure and superstructure projects in the capital, including a plan to develop the riverfront of the Old City. According to the Mayor of Baghdad, Ammar Musa, plans are underway to complete projects launched previously, such as those within the "Baghdad is More Beautiful" campaign phase two. He indicated that the municipality's projects are ongoing, focusing on road paving, shop renovations, and water and sewage networks, in addition to completing launched bridges. This progress is being made despite the country's current financial crisis, as the municipality is committed to activating self-effort and its factories to produce asphalt to complete existing projects and launch new ones.

Musa also highlighted the launch of the second phase of Rashid Street's development, as well as the development of the riverfront in the Old City, in cooperation with the Association of Private Banks and funded by the Central Bank of Iraq. Concurrently, the Ministry of Construction and Housing affirmed its continuation of rehabilitation projects in the capital, including the development of expressways and addressing technical challenges on the Canal Road. Service efforts are also accelerating in several neighborhoods to improve infrastructure and services. Ministry engineers have completed the designs for a comprehensive development campaign for the Canal Road, paving the way for implementation after financial allocations are released.

Ministry spokesperson Istabraq Sabah stated that the ministry has made progress in rehabilitating several bridges and ramps, most notably the "Spider Bridge." Works included removing old asphalt layers, replacing expansion joints and rubber bearings, and maintaining lighting poles. Meanwhile, the Governorate of Karbala continues to implement a package of integrated service projects and measures aimed at addressing fundamental challenges facing citizens, primarily the housing crisis, improving infrastructure, enhancing energy stability, and developing administrative performance through digital transformation. The Governor of Karbala, Nassif Jassim Al-Khattabi, approved the final plans for the "Mawten" project, a key initiative to address the housing crisis in the province, emphasizing the importance of providing suitable housing opportunities for all segments of society. Al-Khattabi also announced the allocation of over 14,000 residential land plots to meet citizens' needs, with special support for educational staff.

The Governor explained that the housing roadmap relies on three main axes: land distribution, adopting the Iraqi real estate developer system for project implementation, and establishing modern residential complexes that adhere to environmental standards and green spaces, in line with the urban expansion witnessed by Karbala. In parallel, the infrastructure sector saw the completion of the Al-Tharmaston road rehabilitation project, which connects the city center to the Hajj roundabout. This is a vital road serving the movement of citizens and pilgrims alike. The Directorate of Roads and Bridges clarified that the project facilitates traffic flow between the province's center and the district of Ain Al-Tamr, in addition to being an important corridor for construction material transport vehicles. A statement from the Directorate indicated that the rehabilitation works included scraping the old layer, treating damages, adding modern layers reinforced with a polymer resistant to cracks, and equipping the road with traffic and guidance signs.