“As per the organization’s agenda, 5,000 kilometers of rural roads were expected to be asphalted in two years, however work has been completed on 8,000 kilometers. By March 2022, all roads of villages with more than 20 households will be covered with asphalt,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Noting that as much as 300 trillion rials ($1.2 billion) are needed for the maintenance of rural roads annually, the official said, “There are 220,000 kilometers of main roads, side roads and accessible rural roads in the country, of which 35,000 kilometers are arterial roads. The maintenance of arterial roads is the top priority due to the credit squeeze. Nearly 600 million tons of goods and 160 million passengers are being transported via Iran’s roads per year.”