TEHRAN – Restoration of Khatun Bridge, a centuries-old arched monument in Karaj, is expected to cost some $160,000, an official with Iran’s ministry of cultural heritage and tourism said on Wednesday.  

“The total estimated cost of restoring the arch bridge… will be about fifty billion rials (about $160,000),” said Seyyed Hadi Ahmadi Ruini the director of the ministry’s office for preservation and restoration of historic buildings and sites.

The deck of the monument, which is situated in the capital of Alborz province, 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 exerts 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