New bridge to connect Russia, Azerbaijan
By Nigar Orujova
Russia and Azerbaijan will be connected by a new bridge over the Samur River.
Technical inquiry into the development of the project has been carried out and related documents were signed in Astrakhan, Russia by Transport Minister of Russia Maksim Sokolov and his Azerbaijan's counterpart Ziya Mammadov on August 8, the Russian's Transport Ministry reports.
An Azerbaijani delegation headed by Mammadov is participating in the meeting of heads of transport departments of the Caspian Sea states in Astrakhan to discuss development of transit capacity of the Caspian region.
Construction of the road bridge over the river Samur near checkpoint Samur in Azerbaijan and Yarag-Kazmalar in Russia over the Russian-Azerbaijani state border will be carried out in accordance with the agreement between Russia and Azerbaijan from August 13, 2013.
The existing bridge is a key part of the transport system, which provides transportation of goods and passengers by cars between Russia and Azerbaijan. Experts believe that the current bridge is in poor condition and not fully ensure pass of the increasing traffic flow.
The terms of reference is mainly tasked with determining the development of optimal, reasonable, cost-effective and efficient functional and technological, structural and engineering solutions for the construction of the bridge.
The new bridge that will connect the two coasts of two states will have two traffic lanes and will meet modern requirements for the loads.
The bridge will be built with the use of new technologies, modern techniques, designs and materials.
The length of the bridge is assumed to reach about 800 linear meters, including a direct length of the bridge 325 linear meters.
The developed project will pass expert procedures in accordance with the laws of the parties. Following, the final cost of the project will be estimated. The parties intend to finance the project on a parity basis.
The border between Azerbaijan and Russia runs along the Samur River.
Since the early 1990s, there has been the problem of border delimitation between Russia and Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Dagestan has raised the question of equal division of water resources of the Samur River.
This approach was categorically rejected by Azerbaijan who explained its refusal to water shortages in the cities of Baku and Sumgait, as well as economic losses from the reduction of irrigated land in the coastal lowlands. In 2008 Azerbaijan started construction of the Samur-Absheron channel.
An agreement was signed on August 28, 2010 on the delimitation of the border between the Russia and Azerbaijan, as well as the rational use and protection of water resources of the Samur.
According to this agreement, the border between Russia and Azerbaijan transferred from the right bank of the Samur to the middle of waterworks and the sides agreed to continue sharing water resources equally.