This is a list of Iraqi highways. Iraq has a network comprising nine motorways, twelve highways and 40 national roads. They connect Iraq with all neighbouring countries. When Saddam Hussein visited the United States in the 1980s, he was impressed by the size and infrastructure of the highway system. He ordered his engineers to build highways in the American form - wide lanes, shoulders and clover leaves.
Motorways Motorways in Iraq can be classified into three categories: the M1, which traverses the country and links Baghdad with the Gulf and the Levant; the M31, M96, and M97, which primarily serve as connectors to the M1 and all other motorways, which act as short urban expressways in the Kurdistan Region.
The construction of the M1, M31, M96 and M97 was the "by far largest expressway project in the Middle East" of its time. The German firm DORSCH CONSULT carried out the feasibility study and the detailed design between 1975 and 1977 and commenced construction in 1979. The design was based on the latest German expressway standards. +DesignationNameOriginTerminusLength (km)Length (mi)NotesM1Motorway 1Um QasrIraqi-Syrian Border (Syria 2)1130700M31Motorway 31Rumaila (M1)Basra3020M55Motorway 55Duhok (2)Zakho (2)5030Replaces Highway 2M88Motorway 88Batil (M55)Iraqi-Syrian Border (Syria 6)2010M90Motorway 90Duhok (M55)Erbil4025Split into two unconnected sections (12 km and 28 km)M96Motorway 96Rutba (M1)Iraqi-Jordanian Border (Jordan 10)6540M97Motorway 97Abu Ghraib (M1)Baghdad2515M120120 Meter RoadErbil Ring Road3520M150150 Meter RoadGazna (90)Kesnezan (18)2515Under Planning to become second Erbil Ring Road Highways Iraq's Highway Network consists of 12 Highways and is designed in a clockwise ring around Baghdad starting with Highway 1 to the northwest and ending with Highway 12 to the west. +DesignationNameOriginViaTerminusLength (km)Length (mi)Notes1Highway 1BaghdadTaji, Samarra, Tikrit, Mosul (2)Iraqi-Syrian Border (Syria M4)5003102Highway 2BaghdadBaquba, Khalis, Kirkuk, Erbil, Mosul (1), Duhok (M55), Zakho (M55)Iraqi-Turkish Border (Turkey D430)510315Replaced by M55 between Duhok and Zakho3Highway 3Erbil (2)SoranIraqi-Iranian Border (Iran 46)1701054Highway 4Jalawla (5)Kalar, Darbandikhan, SulaimaniyaKirkuk (2)3001855Highway 5Baquba (2)Muqdadiya, Sadiya, Jalawla (4), KhanaqinIraqi-Iranian Border (Iran 48)130806Highway 6BaghdadKut (7), Amara, BasraFao6303907Highway 7Kut (6)ShatraNasiriya (8)1851158Highway 8BaghdadAlexandria (9), Hilla, Diwaniya, Samawa, Nasiriya (7), ZubairIraqi-Kuwaiti Border (Kuwait 80)590365Parallel to M19Highway 9AlexandriaKarbala, NajafAbu Sukhair (71)1509510Highway 10Rutba (11)Iraqi-Jordanian Border (Jordan 10)7545Parallel to M9611Highway 11BaghdadFalluja, Ramadi (12), Rutba (10)Iraqi-Syrian Border (Syria 2)570355Parallel to M112Highway 12Ramadi (11)Hit, Haditha, Karabila, QaimIraqi-Syrian Border (Syria M15)270170 National Roads
Iraq's National Roads form an unconnected system of roads, which generally act as feeders to the Highway Network. Their standards can vary a lot from single-carriageway unmarked roads to roads which resemble the Highways in usage and standard. +DesignationNameOriginViaTerminusLength (km)Length (mi)Notes13National Road 13KhanaqinMandali, Badra, Jalat, Shaikh FarisIraqi-Iranian Border 45028014National Road 14Ali Al GharbiJalat302015National Road 15BadraIraqi-Iranian Border10516National Road 16NasiriyaAmara1358517National Road 17DiwaniyaQalat SukkarAmara24015018National Road 18ErbilSulaimaniya16510519National Road 19HaqlaniyaBaijiKirkuk23014020National Road 20SafraRutba22013521National Road 21ToliahaNukhaib1509522National Road 22KarbalaNukhaibIraqi-Saudi Border32520023National Road 23FallujaSamarra1308024National Road 24TikritKirkuk1157026National Road 26BasraUm Qasr5030Split into two sections (40 km and 10 km)27National Road 27HillaNumaniyaSarhad1207528National Road 28Abu SukhairSamawa1308029National Road 29SamawaSalman, Iraqi-Saudi Border, Iraqi-Kuwaiti BorderZubair720450Parallel to the Southern Border30National Road 30H-3 Air BaseIraqi-Jordanian Border1107032National Road 32Hizop GoraIraqi-Iranian Border805033National Road 33DuhokAmediBarzan1257534National Road 34BaghdadBaquba604036National Road 36KalarIraqi-Iranian Border352043National Road 43Said SadiqKhurmal, BiaraTawella453044National Road 44SulaimaniyaQaradagh352045National Road 45HalabjaSaid Sadiq302046National Road 46ArbatIraqi-Iranian Border805047National Road 47TishtaTel AfarIraqi-Syrian Border1308053National Road 53ShaqlawaHizop Gora503055National Road 55TikritToz Khormatu905570National Road 70HillaKifl, NajafAbu Sukhair654071National Road 71Abu SukhairDiwaniya4025Replaces Highway 977National Road 77ZakhoAmedi754578National Road 78SoranSidakan352080National Road 80MosulKirkuk17010582National Road 82BaqubaMandali905583National Road 83SoranMergasor352084National Road 84KarbalaHilla503086National Road 86KalarKhanaqin302087National Road 87KalarKifri402593National Road 93BatifaKani Masi503094National Road 94RanyaWarte4025 Statistics Total: Paved: Unpaved: , 1996 est.
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