Villagers protest road damage from trucks diverted due to Kele border maintenance

PSHDAR — The main road at Kele border crossing between the Kurdistan Region and Iran has been closed for maintenance, forcing truck drivers to use alternative routes through local villages, including Dega and Kanilan, and the road leading to the Hero subdistrict in Sulaymaniyah’s Pshdar area. This diversion has sparked dissatisfaction among some local residents.

Ali Suleiman, a resident of Dega village, expressed frustration, telling 964media, “Our village road was once asphalted and in good condition, but now it’s been destroyed by heavy truck traffic. The road is filled with mud, and due to the construction work on the Kele border road, drivers from Kele and other nearby villages are passing through here. We’ve become victims, and our village has suffered serious damage.”

Suleiman further explained, “The rainy season hasn’t even started, and already the road is so muddy and bumpy that it’s barely usable. The dust and mud have covered our entire village, ruining our agricultural produce.”

Residents have urged local authorities to take immediate action to address the situation. Mohsin Hussein, head of the Hero subdistrict, confirmed the ongoing construction, explaining to 964media, “Work is being carried out on a section of the Kele border road, which is being renovated. We needed a temporary road for drivers, so we designated the Dega road to Kele until the work is completed.”

Hussein acknowledged that the road, partially paved in the Baath era, has deteriorated due to heavy truck traffic. “The villagers are watering it daily and maintaining it as best they can, but it deteriorates quickly under the weight of the trucks,” he said, adding that they have requested help from the Directorate of Roads in Raparin to have the company working on the Kele road also repair the Dega road, though they have yet to receive a response.

The six-kilometer-long road serves three villages, where residents primarily rely on farming and livestock for their livelihoods.

Concerns about heavy trucks damaging roads are not limited to this area. In May, the Darbandikhan Traffic Directorate banned large transport trucks from using roads leading to popular tourist destinations every Friday to reduce congestion and improve road safety. The measure was in response to growing concerns over road safety following deadly traffic accidents involving heavy trucks.

Similarly, authorities in Ranya issued a notice earlier this year, warning that the Darband Bridge was at risk of collapse due to overloading from trucks rerouted through the town amid local protests.