The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has officially inaugurated the Gomaspan–Smaqoli Road Project, a major infrastructure achievement connecting Erbil, Sulaimani, and the Raparin Independent Administration. The 22-kilometer modern highway, completed at a cost of 210 billion Iraqi dinars ($160 million), marks another milestone in the KRG’s ongoing commitment to sustainable development, economic growth, and regional connectivity.
Launched in October 2024, the project was completed in just one year — a reflection of the KRG’s drive to deliver on its promises. Speaking at the inauguration, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stated:
“A year after our promise, we opened the new Gomaspan–Smaqoli road — a $160 million project connecting Erbil, Slemani, and the Raparin Independent Administration. Despite economic pressure to slow Kurdistan’s progress, we’ve built over 5,000 kilometers of strategic highways.”
Expanding the Foundations of Development
The Gomaspan–Smaqoli highway strengthens one of the most critical transport corridors in the Kurdistan Region. Designed to international standards, the dual-lane road replaces an older route affected by the rising waters of the Gomaspan Dam and now serves as a faster, safer, and more reliable artery for trade and tourism.
Built with six underpasses, three bridges, and seventy box culverts, the project mobilized more than 2,000 workers and 600 machines over the course of construction. The route’s modern safety features — including retaining walls, guard rails, and traffic signage — enhance both daily commuting and long-haul transport efficiency across provincial borders.
Infrastructure Driving Economic Opportunity
The completion of the Gomaspan–Smaqoli project is part of the KRG’s broader development and diversification strategy, which prioritizes large-scale investment in infrastructure to unlock business growth, attract foreign investment, and strengthen internal markets.
Over the past year, the KRG has advanced several major initiatives that complement this vision, including $110 billion in new energy and development agreements and a renewed emphasis on public-private partnerships to modernize roads, power systems, and logistics networks. The recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce delegation to Erbil underscored the growing confidence of international businesses in the Kurdistan Region’s stability, transparency, and economic potential.
Projects such as the Gomaspan–Smaqoli highway directly support this progress by improving access to industrial zones, agricultural hubs, and border trade routes — creating the physical infrastructure necessary to sustain long-term investment and regional integration.
