Shafaq News- Basra

Iraq inaugurated the immersed tunnel beneath the Khor Al-Zubair waterway in Basra, completing a major component of the Grand Faw Port project and establishing a direct road link between the Faw Peninsula and Umm Qasr, the Ministry of Transport said on Thursday.

Transport Minister Wahab Al-Hassani opened the tunnel, which is expected to shorten travel distances and reduce the time and cost of transporting goods between the two areas.

The ministry described the project as a key addition to Iraq's transport infrastructure, linking the country's ports to its road network and supporting the $17 billion Development Road project, a roughly 1,200-kilometer road and rail corridor planned to connect the Gulf with Turkiye and extend to Europe.

A Shafaq News correspondent reported that South Korea's Daewoo Engineering & Construction had formally handed over the completed tunnel to the General Company for Ports of Iraq.

The project involved installing 10 concrete sections beneath the Khor Al-Zubair navigation channel. In March 2025, the General Company for Ports of Iraq confirmed the successful immersion of the first section. The company later announced that the fifth section, known as "Azal," had been installed on the channel bed. By May 9, 2026, construction was more than 95% complete, with the tunnel nearing readiness for vehicle traffic.

Last month, the company's Director General, Abdullah Ati Abdullah, said overall completion had reached 98%. The breakwater was fully completed, while infrastructure works stood at 94%.

Read more: Rebuilding Basra’s maritime power: Is Al-Faw Port the game changer for Iraq?