TEHRAN – The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts has allocated some $104,000 to the restoration of Pol-e Khatun, which is an ancient arch bridge situated in Alborz province, west of Tehran.

“An amount of 5.2 million rials (some $104,000) has been provided for the restoration of Pol-e Khatun, whose repair project is to be commenced in the near future,” the provincial tourism chief said on Tuesday.

Rahim Khaki said that a skilled contractor has been selected for the restoration project, which is estimated to take 18 months.

The deck of the ancient monument was partly collapsed in December 2020, reportedly due to severe rainfalls.

Experts say the foundation of the bridge was constructed during the Seljuk era (1037–1194) while its other sections were thoroughly renovated in the time of Safavids (1501–1736).

Arch bridges have been built since ancient times due to the easy accessibility of stone masonry, which is an appropriate material for sustaining compressive forces.

An arch bridge carries loads primarily by compression, which experts on the foundation both vertical and horizontal forces. Arch foundations must therefore prevent both vertical settling and horizontal sliding. Despite the more complicated foundation design, the structure itself normally requires less material than a beam bridge of the same span.

AFM