Province of: Khuzestân

The Shâdravân dyke-bridge on Karoun River, southwest of Iran, which has withstood the river’s heavy floods for years, will be restored and reconstructed.

The bridge was once 550 meters long and included 35 spans before, but due to negligence today only parts of it and 30 of its spans exist, three of which are so far completely restored.

The materials used in the project are the traditional ones including river stones, rocks and old stucco, and the conservators of the Cultural Heritage Organization are trying to restore the bridge based on its Sasanian style.

According to head of the project for Shoushtar water structures Mohammad Hossein Arastou, the only problem hindering the restoration work is lack of financial resources.

Shadravan Bridge, also called Shapouri, is located some 300 meters west of Mizan dyke. Its pillars are 7 meter wide, its water passage 8 meters wide, and its height, from the base to the arch crown, around 10 meters.

It was built in the Sasanian era, during the rule of Shapour I, to transfer water to Khuzestan plain, to protect the farms against heavy floods of Karoun and also to direct ground waters. In the southern wing of the bridge there are ruins of a small room and a pillar which may be the remnants of the facilities for preserving the structure.