Iraq has awarded 19 projects to local and foreign companies involving road expansions and construction in the capital Baghdad with the aim of tacking traffic jams, an Iraqi official was reported on Tuesday as saying.

The 19 projects are the first batch of 60 road development projects approved by the cabinet, said Istabrak Sabah, a spokesman for the Construction and housing Ministry.

Sabah told Aliqtisad News agency that most of the projects would be completed in 2025 and that 10 of the awarded contracts have been launched.

“We have awarded 19 projects to local and foreign firms with relevant experience….these are the first batch of 60 road projects to be executed in the capital with the aim of resolving traffic bottlenecks,” Sabah said.

He noted that each project would take between 300 days and 18 months to be completed, but he did not mention project costs or the firms awarded those contracts.