Iraq News
Economy

Restored bridges reunite east and west Mosul

By Alaa Hussain in Baghdad

Iraqis cross a bridge connecting west and east Mosul on July 13th, a few days after the government's announcement of the city's liberation from the 'Islamic State of Iraq and Syria'. [Safin Hamed/AFP]

Iraqis cross a bridge connecting west and east Mosul on July 13th, a few days after the government's announcement of the city's liberation from the 'Islamic State of Iraq and Syria'. [Safin Hamed/AFP]

The Iraqi government is committed to rebuilding Mosul's bridges as part of its efforts to restore infrastructure and services and reunite the east and west sides of the city, Iraqi officials tell Diyaruna.

Of the bridges destroyed during the battle to oust the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) from the city, just one, the 5th Bridge, has been reopened, said Ninawa provincial council services committee member Hosam Eddin al-Abbar.

A floating bridge has been constructed to absorb congestion and pedestrian traffic while the other bridges are out of service, he told Diyaruna.

The Ministry of Housing and Reconstruction is currently working to rebuild the Old Bridge, also known as the Iron Bridge, at a projected cost of 2.98 billion Iraqi dinars ($2.38 million), he said.

Al-Muthana Bridge also will be rebuilt at a cost of 263 million Iraqi dinars ($210,000), he added.

Restoring east-west access

Now that the city's bridges are beginning to be repaired, the situation in Mosul has gradually begun to improve, civil activist Laith al-Rashidi told Diyaruna.

Families have started returning to their homes on the west bank of the Tigris, and commerce has begun to resume, albeit at a low volume, he added.

For the time being, only two bridges are operational in the city, he said -- one for entering and another for leaving the city.

This is not sufficient to enable the city to return to normal, he said, especially now that schools and colleges have reopened, as crossing one bridge requires at least one hour because of the heavy traffic.

The reconstruction of Mosul's bridges will have a big impact on the city's economic and social life, al-Rashidi said.

The Old Bridge connects the Mosul amusement park on the city's east side to the Old City in its west side, for example, he said.

"When it is rebuilt, it will restore access to the Old City's markets, and people will return to their shops and homes in the west side of the city," he added.

Re-invigorating commercial life

With the bridges out of service, the population in the east side of the city swelled, as it was less affected by the military operations than the west, al-Rashidi said.

"This triggered a rise in the rent charged on the east side for housing units and shops that brought it to close to double the rates charged in the past," he said.

The disconnection of the bridges also caused the commercial hub to move from popular markets on the west side, such as al-Dawwasa, al-Nabi Sheet and the Old City, to new areas on the east side, he added.

"This has concentrated the entire volume of commerce in one area, when it used to be distributed between two," he said.

The shift in housing and commerce to the east has put great pressure on Mosul's infrastructure, he said, noting that its west side became a semi-deserted area, which has destabilised the general economic situation in the city.

From the social aspect, he added, more than 90% of the people of the west side have moved to the east side, where they live in informal housing, with four or five families to a house and all the associated hardships.

Stability attracts construction

The security situation in Mosul today is the best it has been since 2004, according to Mosul tribal mobilisation leader Sheikh Khaled al-Jubury.

"The General Command of the armed forces has ordered the deployment of the 16th Military Division in eastern Mosul and tasked it with maintaining security in central Mosul and nearby residential areas," he told Diyaruna.

The increased security, which also is enforced by local police and the tribal mobilisation, provides a stable environment for state and foreign reconstruction companies to carry out projects in the city, he said.

"Stability has encouraged the return of displaced people to the city as they no longer fear for their lives or possessions under the protection of the federal government and the Iraqi police and army," he said.

Though much work remains to be done, the restoration of infrastructure and services on both sides of the city has cleared the way for a large segment of the population to return, al-Abbar said.

West Mosul, which suffered the brunt of the battles, now has 70% of its total population back in their homes, the Ninawa provincial council member added.

This is a good percentage compared with the level of destruction that ISIS caused in that area, he said.

The areas less damaged by the military operations, such as east Mosul and Tal Afar in western Ninawa and al-Mahalabia, have seen their displaced residents return en masse, as services are up and running.

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