Semel–Shazi Dual Carriageway Nears Completion, Set to Transform Transport in Duhok
Stretching nine kilometers, the dual carriageway is designed to serve as a major transportation corridor that will ease traffic congestion, reduce travel times, and facilitate the movement of people and goods across one of the Kurdistan Region's busiest commercial routes.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Construction of the strategic Semel–Shazi dual carriageway in Duhok province has surpassed 80 percent completion, bringing the long-awaited infrastructure project closer to opening and promising to significantly improve connectivity between Duhok, Semel, and Zakho.
Stretching nine kilometers, the dual carriageway is designed to serve as a major transportation corridor that will ease traffic congestion, reduce travel times, and facilitate the movement of people and goods across one of the Kurdistan Region's busiest commercial routes.
The modern highway includes storm drains, street lighting, landscaping, bridges, and multiple intersections aimed at improving road safety and traffic efficiency.
Mohammad Saleh, the project's supervising engineer, said the road features an extensive drainage network alongside several bridges and intersections. He noted that North Light Company has been carrying out the project over a two-year schedule, with construction progressing continuously for the past 18 months.
According to Shaaban Salim, a representative of North Light Company, work is currently focused on completing the bridges. Nearly 300 engineers, technicians, employees, and laborers are involved in the project.
Salim emphasized that the road's significance extends beyond improving transportation between Semel and Duhok, noting that it will facilitate the movement of agricultural products and commercial goods throughout the province and strengthen regional trade.
For residents of Shazi village, the project marks the fulfillment of a decades-long aspiration.
Karim Sabri, head of Shazi village, said local residents have been waiting more than 44 years for the road to be built. The village, home to nearly 200 Christian families, is expected to benefit substantially from improved accessibility and transportation once the project becomes operational.
The Semel–Shazi dual carriageway is among Duhok province's flagship infrastructure projects and forms part of the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) broader strategy to modernize transportation networks and support economic development.
Between 2019 and 2026, the KRG completed 810 road and transportation projects across the Kurdistan Region at a cost exceeding 1.057 trillion Iraqi dinars, according to the KRG Department of Media and Information. The projects added or rehabilitated more than 3,055 kilometers of roads, improving connectivity between cities, districts, agricultural areas, industrial zones, and border crossings.
Authorities are also implementing 227 additional strategic road projects worth an estimated 4.179 trillion dinars, which will add or rehabilitate another 2,239 kilometers of roads upon completion.
Officials say continued investment in transportation infrastructure is intended to strengthen economic growth, improve road safety, support tourism, facilitate trade, and enhance public services despite years of financial challenges. The KRG has described modern road networks as an essential driver of regional development and economic integration.
Once completed, the Semel–Shazi dual carriageway is expected to become a vital transportation link in Duhok province, improving mobility, boosting commerce, and enhancing the quality of life for communities along the route.