Iraq's Basra governorate has laid the foundation stone for the the planned underwater tunnel project under the Khor Al Zubair which will link the Grand Faw Port mega project to the country's highway network, a top government official said.

The mayor of Al-Zubair City Abbas Maher Taher Al-Saidi told Zawya Projects that the Korean contractor Daewoo Engineering & Construction (Daewoo E&C) is constructing the prefabrication yard for the tunnel project.

In October last year, Korean media had reported that Daewoo E&C was awarded a $86 million contract for the prefabrication yard.

The 2.5-kilometre long tunnel will have six lanes and separate emergency lanes, Al-Saeedi said, adding that the project design is in the final stage.

"Currently, we are in detail design stage, which is being finalised by Italian engineering consultancy Technital," he added.

(Reporting by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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