Iron bridge on the way in Karbala

KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: Work has been initiated on an iron bridge at a cost of nearly $200,000 U.S. dollars in eastern Karbala, according to the head of the roads and bridges department. “A local company has begun work on the iron Tanouba Bridge in al-Jadwal al-Gharbi district,” Engineer Jamal Mohammed Redha told IraqiNews.com. The official noted that the estimated completion period of the project, which aims to ease traffic jams in the city, is 70 days. Karbala, with an estimated population of 572,300 people in 2003, is the capital of the province and is considered to be one of Shiite Muslims’ holiest cities. The city, 110 km south of Baghdad, is one of Iraq’s wealthiest, profiting both from religious visitors and agricultural produce, especially dates. SS (P) 1