Iran set to open £25.5m bridge - the tallest in Middle East
THE tallest suspension bridge in the Middle East has been given the go-ahead to be opened in Iran.
The bridge is 80 metres high
Iran has pushed forward the plans after a six-year break in an attempt to develop tourism in the country.
The bridge will cost approximately £25.5 million and is set to become the largest bridge of its kind in the region.
It will be 345 metres long, 3 metres wide and scale 80 metres in height.
Scheduled for an opening next week, the bridge resides in Ardabil province in north-western Iran.
**CLICK HERE FOR THE WORLD'S SCARIEST BRIDGES**
The bridge is part of a plan to push tourism business in Iran
Near the bridge, a 'tourist town' consisting of hotels, spas, skiing, horse riding, chariot racing and cycling will be constructed.
The town will be built close to Meshgin Shahr.
The area is famed for its natural hot springs which were described as a 'fantastic opportunity for an international destination for natural spa tourism' at the World Geothermal Congress earlier this year.
Iran has recently shifted focus to developing international tourism in the country.
Masoud Soltanifar, the director of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, has aimed for 20 million tourists in the next ten years and a goal of taking in $30 billion a year.
However, the British Foreign Office still advises against 'all but essential travel' to the country.
Despite this, many British tour operators, such as Persian Voyage, offer trips to Meshgin Shahr and the surrounding north-western region.