Bridge to be built in Karbala

KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: Works commenced on a bridge over al-Kifl river in eastern Karbala province on Monday at a cost of 499 million Iraqi dinars, or $400,000, a local official said. “Engineering and technical departments in the Karbala Roads & Bridges Department started laying the pillars of a bridge over al-Kifl river in the area of Janaja, (25 km) eastern Karbala,” the department chief, Jamal Muhammad Reda, told IraqiNews.com. “The bridge, which is 24-meter-long and 11-meter-wide, will rest on 44 pillars and is expected to be finalized in five months,” the source said. Reda noted that the bridge would be of top importance for the local residents in the area and nearby rural districts as it should help them carry their agricultural crops. The holy Shiite city of Karbala lies 110 km southwest of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. AmR (P) 1