Collapse of Iraq’s longest bridge
Collapse of Iraq’s longest bridge
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Diyala
A government source revealed on Saturday that a collapse had occurred in the approaches to the Hamrin Bridge, which is the longest in Iraq, due to the rising water levels of the lake.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that “a delegation from the provincial council and the Diyala Roads and Bridges Directorate conducted a field visit to assess the conditions of the Hamrin Bridge, which is considered the longest in Iraq, after the water levels of Lake Hamrin rose due to heavy rainfall.”
He added that “the delegation noted a serious collapse in the earthen approaches to the bridge, without damage to the concrete blocks and supports,” pointing out that “the collapse is dangerous for passersby, considering that the bridge was opened temporarily before being handed over and officially opened by the implementing company.”
The source indicated that “the delegation concluded that it was necessary to temporarily close the bridge and fill in the collapse that occurred in the approaches to the bridge, but the Roads and Bridges Directorate is suffering from a lack of financial allocations that would enable it to work on the bridge and other projects in the governorate, due to the financial crisis in Iraq.”
The Hamrin Bridge, northeast of Diyala, is considered the longest in Iraq, with a length of more than 7 kilometers including its approaches, while the cost of its construction is more than 60 billion Iraqi dinars.
Government authorities in Diyala had opened the new Hamrin Lake bridge temporarily to pedestrians more than a month ago, before its completion, due to damage to the old bridge as a result of the lake’s waves.
shafaq.com
