Iraq’s Construction and Housing Ministry plans to invite international consultants to bid to carry out a masterplan for the transport sector and a road asset management study.

Speaking on the sidelines of MEED’s Iraq Infrastructure Projects 2011 conference in Istanbul, Istabraq Ibraheem al-Shouk, senior deputy to the Construction and Housing Minister, said that bids are to be invited in the first quarter of 2012.

The study and masterplan are both to be completed by the end of the year.

Iraq plans to build its transport sector with the development of new roads, bridges and expressways. The ministry expects Iraq to spend $5.811bn on transport projects between 2012 and 2015. It plans to issue engineering, procurement and construction contracts, as well as tender several PPP contracts.