Heavy rains trigger collapse near Iraq’s longest bridge

Shafaq News- Diyala

Authorities in Iraq’s Diyala province recorded a serious structural collapse near Hamrin Bridge, the country’s longest bridge, after rising water levels in Lake Hamrin caused by heavy rainfall, a government source told Shafaq News on Saturday.

A delegation from the provincial council and the province’s Roads and Bridges Directorate conducted a field inspection to assess the condition of the structure. "According to the source, the delegation recommended temporarily closing the site again and filling the collapsed sections near its approaches. However, Diyala’s Roads and Bridges Directorate is facing a lack of financial allocations needed to carry out repairs and continue other infrastructure projects in the province amid Iraq’s ongoing financial crisis."

While the collapse did not damage the concrete supports or structural blocks of the bridge itself, the source warned that it poses a serious risk to motorists. The bridge had been temporarily opened to traffic before its official completion and handover by the contracting company.

Located northeast of Diyala, Hamrin Bridge stretches more than seven kilometers, including its approaches, making it the longest bridge in Iraq. The project cost exceeds 60 billion Iraqi dinars($39.06M).

Local authorities reopened the new crossing to traffic more than a month ago before construction was fully completed after waves from the lake damaged the old bridge.

In March, Muhannad Al-Maamouri, head of Diyala’s Water Resources Directorate, told Shafaq News that floodwaters and rainfall increased inflows into Lake Hamrin to around 2,000 cubic meters per second, raising the reservoir to between 70% and 80% of its 2.5 billion cubic meter capacity.