2.3 Iran Road Network Distance Matrix Road Security Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits Road Class and Surface Conditions Bridges International Corridors Leading to the Country Customs Clearance Iran consists of mountainous rims surrounding high interior basins. The main mountain chain is Zagros Mountains, a series of parallel ridges interspersed with plains that bisect the country from northwest to southeast. Many peaks in the Zagros exceed 3,000 metres (9,843 ft) above sea level, and in the south- central region of the country there are at least five peaks that are over 4,000 metres (13,123 ft). As the Zagros continue into south-eastern Iran, the average elevation of the peaks declines dramatically to under 1,500 metres (4,921 ft). Another chain of mountains in northern part of the country is Alborz Mountains. Volcanic Mount Damavand, 5,610 metres (18,406 ft), located in the centre of the Alborz, is not only the country's highest peak but also the highest mountain on the Eurasian landmass west of the Hindu Kush. The centre of Iran consists of several closed basins that collectively are referred to as the Central Plateau. The average elevation of this plateau is about 900 metres (2,953 ft), but several of the mountains that tower over the plateau exceed 3,000 metres (9,843 ft). The eastern part of the plateau is covered by two salt deserts, the Dasht-e Kavir (Great Salt Desert) and the Dasht-e Lut. Iran has only two expanses of lowlands: the Khuzestan Plain in the southwest and the Caspian Sea coastal plain in the north. The former is a roughly triangular-shaped extension of the Mesopotamia plain and averages about 160 kilometres (99 mi) in width. It extends for about 120 kilometres (75 mi) inland, barely rising a few meters above sea level, then meets abruptly with the first foothills of the Zagros. Much of the Khuzestan plain is covered with marshes. The Caspian plain is both longer and narrower. It extends for some 640 kilometres (400 mi) along the Caspian shore, but its widest point is less than 50 kilometres (31 mi), while at some places less than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) separate the shore from the Alborz foothills. The Persian Gulf coast south of Khuzestan and the Gulf of Oman coast have no real plains because the Zagros in these areas come right down to the shore. For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Iran Government Contact List Seasonal Effects on Transport Transp Comments From ort (month) to (month) Page 1 Primary The mountainous regions in the northern and western part of the country are affected by snowfalls. This increases the risk of November Road accidents and slows down the traffic. During that season the vehicles are equipped with chains, which are used if and when to February Transp necessary. The road maintenance services are equipped with snowploughs. ort Second Roads leading to Afghan & Iraqi refugee camps are affected by snowfalls. Tehran-Qazvin-Zanjan-Tabriz highway (main route November ary to west-north west of Iran) is mostly covered by snow during the winter time. Furthermore, the side roads, destined to the to February Road refugee settlements in west of Iran (Uromiyeh-Kermanshah/Zanjan-Sardasht), are also affected by cold weather of winter Transp ort Rail Lack of wagons due to less importation of cotton from CIS countries to Iran. During September to April more wagons are May to Transp available. Also during Iranian new year (March) there might be wagon congestion or less availability of wagons. Priority is August ort being given to passengers rather than cargo. Air Tehran has two main airports, Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini (IKA). Mehrabad is located inside Tehran and using for 25 Sep to Transp domestic flights and Hadj. IKA is using for international flights. During Hadj time there is congestion in Mehrabad Airport and end of ort recently in IKA (Imam Khomeini Airport) for airlines to Najaf. October (H adj period) Whole year for Najaf Distance Matrix Distances from Capital City to Major Towns (km) Tehran Tabriz Isfahan Shiraz Mashhad Hamedan Yazd Kerman Tehran - 599 439 924 894 337 677 1,038 Bandar Abbas 1,334 1,933 975 619 1,374 1,421 657 485 Bandar Anzali 365 455 804 1,289 1,107 441 1,042 1,403 Bandar Imam 1,049 1,250 791 515 1,943 813 937 1,086 Bazargan 879 280 1,318 1,803 1,773 889 1,556 1,917 Taybad (Dogharoun BorderPoint to Afghanistan) 1,118 1,717 1,446 1,598 224 1,455 1,146 1,113 Piranshahr (Bashmagh border point To Iraq) 774 296 1,014 1,500 1,668 551 1,315 1,676 Travel Time from Capital City to Major Towns (hrs) Tehran Tabriz Isfahan Shiraz Mashhad Hamedan Yazd Kerman Tehran - 7 h 5 h 11 h 10 h 4 h 7 h 12 h Bandar Abbas 16 h 22 h 11 h 8 h 17 h 16 h 10 h 6 h Bandar Anzali 5 h 7 h 10 h `16 h 14 h 6 h 13 h 17 h Bandar Imam 13 h 16 h 11 h 7 h 20 h 10 h 12 h 17 h Bazargan 10 h 3 h 14 h 21 h 20 h 10 h 17 h 20 h Taybad (Dogharoun BorderPoint to Afghanistan) 12 h 19 h 16 h 17 h 3 h 16 h 13 h 12 h Piranshahr (Bashmagh border point To Iraq) 9 h 4 h 11 h 16 h 18 h 6 h 14 h 18 h Road Security The road condition and security is at good level. The roads are maintained and supervised by the Ministry of Road and Transportation. There are speed control cameras set up on roads especially on the highways. The traffic police officers patrolling 24/7. There are security check points on the roads between most cities and villages. Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits Axle load limits LCA Country Truck with 2 axles 18 mt Truck with 3 axles 26 mt Truck with 4 axles 34 mt Semi-trailer with 3 axles 26 mt Semi-trailer with 4 axles 32 mt Page 2 Semi-trailer with 5 axles 36 mt Semi-trailer with 6 axles 40 mt Truck & drawbar trailer with 4 axles 18 mt Truck & drawbar trailer with 5 axles 18 mt Truck & drawbar trailer with 6 axles 18 mt Truck & drawbar trailer with 7 axles 18 mt Road Class and Surface Conditions Iran has a total area of 1,648,195 km2 including 30 provinces. All provinces, capital and main cities, villages and urban areas are connected via roads. Iran roads are also connected to international roads via different borders at north, west and east of country. In total there are 83,485 km including main roads, highways, freeways and access roads. Besides, there are about 140,000 km inner-town and suburb roads. All freeways and highways are asphalted and surfaces are in good condition. Road marking and guard rails are under maintenance and supervision of Mini stry of Roads & Construction. Other main roads are also asphalted, marking and guardrails are in good conditions as well as routine maintenances of surface and accessories. All roads are under control of Traffic Police and security wise are under control of Security Police Force. Around 28,000 km of inner-town and suburb roads are not asphalted but the surface condition is good and all are accessible for small trucks and vehicles. In all highways, main roads and freeways the rules of speed control is under supervision of traffic police and all highways and freeways are equipped with speed-cameras. All trucks, transit trailers are equipped to GPS so that it is possible for traffic police to control location and speed of transit trucks. Classification Administering Agency Network Length Freeway Ministry of Road and Transportation 2,158 km Highway Ministry of Road and Transportation 13,519 km Main Road Ministry of Road and Transportation 24,285 km Access Road Ministry of Road and Transportation 43,513 km Inner-town Road (Not Asphalted) Ministry of Road and Transportation 27,867 km Suburb Road (Asphalted) Ministry of Road and Transportation 112,308 km Bridges Ghotour Bridge is a railway bridge in Khoy County, West Azarbaijan Province, Iran, over the Ghotour River. It is an arch bridge, was completed in 1970, and has a length of 442.9 m (1453 ft.) with the largest span being 223.1 m (732 ft.) The Veresk Bridge (Varisk) is located in Veresk District of Savad Kooh County, in Mazandaran province. The bridge stands at 110m (360ft) tall and its arch measures 66m (217ft) long. The bridge is serving the Trans-Iranian Railway network in Northern Iran. Band-e Kaisar, Felezi Bridge, Ghari Bridge, Joui Bridge, Khaju Bridge, Khodaafarin Bridges, Pol Sangi, Qarah Soo Bridge, Shahrestan bridge, Si-o-se Pol, Urmia Lake Bridge, Vahid Bridge. International Corridors Leading to the Country Russia, Iran and India signed an agreement laying out a vision for a North-South Transport Corridor. The corridor stretches from ports in India across the Arabian Sea to the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, where goods then transit Iran and the Caspian Sea to ports in Russia’s sector of the Caspian. From there, the route stretches along the Volga River via Moscow to northern Europe. Officially opened in 2000 by Russian, Iranian and Indian representatives, the transport corridor (ITC) South - North connects the European community countries via Russia - Iran - India to the South and Southeast Asia states and the Middle East.