Development Road Project Launched by Iraqi Govt.

The government of Iraq announced more details this week on its plans to create a transport corridor between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea coast in Turkey. The 1,200-kilometer "development road project", sometimes referred to as the "dry canal project", will link Iraq's Grand Faw port, which is still under construction, by rail to the Mediterranean, with the intention of providing a cost-effective alternative to the Suez Canal.

A conference on the project on Saturday was told that it will cost an estimated US$17 billion, and will include approximately 15 train stations along the route. The director general of the General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI) told Reuters that the project could potentially be completed by 2029. A consultant on international transport, however, told VoA News that transferring the freight between ships and trains casts doubt on the viability of the plan.