Additional pics of the newly constructed Azadegan Expressway section in Tehran, Iran.
High standard of finish applied to an overpass section
Hi-visibility crash cushions; an attempt to reduce highway traffic accident casualties
Additional safety features include hi-visibility "barber pole" attention markers, painted guard rails, yellow reduce-speed pavement markers and what appear to be raised pavement markers
Close-up of what appear to be raised raised pavement markers
100 KPH painted pavement markings
Landscaping detail of the Azadegan Expressway
View from the overpass section of the Azadegan Expressway
Traffic along the overpass section
View from the overpass section of the 8-lane expressway below
Signage for the recently completed section of the Azadegan Expressway
Photos: Mohammad Esmaili at MFO.IR
It looks good!
ReplyDeleteNaturally, the building of a road is major news. I know that every road built in the US and other Western countries makes for national news headlines....Mr. Uskowi, do you realize that your fine blog is being turned into a silly joke by "Mark Pyruz"?
ReplyDeleteIT ONLY becomes a sweet joke to YOU only when you hanging cranes and A SERIOUS scientific accomplishment by the NATION dismissed as a LIE and a PR gone awry!!.
DeleteDo you want to hear a real scientific accomplishment by the NATION? The largest brain drain in the world.
DeleteMr Uskowi probably thinks to himself "what a troll this Anon 7:22 is". B-]
DeleteHa Ha Ha ! B.M.A is like a lingering foul smell :o)
Delete@Anon 10:45.....Don't forget because he is surrounded by mud huts he becomes easily excited when he sees all this so called "progress".
DeleteThe only mud is in your brain...Iran has contributed to human knowledge, art, science, Math for generation no matter who the politician of the day was. But I can see why a "Mud Brain" can not read or learn from History.
DeleteAre you blind or just illiterate? I said B.M.A who claims he is a "black man" from Africa must be surrounded by mass housing of mud huts.But unfortunately the Iran of today is a far cry from the old Pars of years gone by and has contributed nothing but drive by mobile hangings.Now go and eat some mud pie !
DeleteRe: allochtonie
DeleteYou are right to mention that there is a brain drain in Iran. That is quite unfortunate and is a result of violation of privacy of citizens and economic and social difficulties of living in Iran, for which I believe neither the government is responsible nor the state as a concrete totality. There are hardliners with backward beliefs who make it really hard for many students, scholars, and scientists to remain in their homeland and help developing it.
Nonetheless, what should be astound (with appreciation of course) that given such brain drain Iran has been capable of magnificent scientific and technological growth.
Yes, building roads is a SERIOUS, magnificent, astounding, remarkable, super-duper, cutting edge, pioneering, scientific and technological breakthrough. It is bigger than the invention of the airplane, automobile, computer, telephone, radio, and the microscope COMBINED. Only those who hate Iran could fail to see the miracle of building highways.
Delete@ Anonymous 8:59 PM
DeleteIt is not quite "progressive" to make sweeping generalizations, isolated from context, judging the growth of a country only because we are prejudiced and want to hate its regime. A little reading beyond our favorite new agencies will help you grow out of this prejudice.
"A 2010 report by Canadian research firm Science-Metrix has put Iran in the top rank globally in terms of growth in scientific productivity with a 14.4 growth index followed by South Korea with a 9.8 growth index. Iran's growth rate in science and technology is 11 times more than the average growth of the world's output in 2009 and in terms of total output per year, Iran has already surpassed the total scientific output of countries like Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Austria or that of Norway."
Ref:
http://www.science-metrix.com/30years-Paper.pdf
2010 Nov/Dec – Middle East Revisited: Iran's Steep Climb – ScienceWatch.com – Thomson Reuters". ScienceWatch.com. 10 January 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
Just check Wikipedia on Iran's scientific growth.
@ foadtorshizi: The quantity of "scientific output" says nothing whatsoever about its quality. All of the countries you named are far, far smaller than the IRI in population. The important thing is to have one's work appear in "high impact" scientific journals, not just any local or regional periodical with a low impact factor. In addition, if you are at a very low level of published journal articles, even a small absolute growth can translate into a relatively large percentage growth. But, if you want to believe that the IRI is a major center for cutting edge medical, technological and scientific progress (despite the fact that its infant mortality and life expectancy are not ranked even in the Top 100 among countries), then you are free to believe whatever you like. Who am I to stop you from indulging in your propagandistic fantasies?
DeleteBTW, my favorite "new (sic) agencies" are Press TV, Fars, Mehr, IRNA, Xinhua, Russia Today, and the official "new" (sic) agencies of Syria and North Korea. What are your favorite "new" (sic) agencies? Please advise.
Nice picking on typos (new)! That is scientific attitude.
DeleteThe question is not if the technology and scientific research in Iran are groundbreaking and cutting edge or not. That is how one takes things out of context. A country with no universities in the top 400 rankings should not be simply measured against the US with 8 universities in the top 10 and more than 50 in the top 100. Growth is a relative measure.
Here is some cutting edge research though:
"Though the world's attention has focused on Iran's advancing nuclear program, Iranian scientists have moved to the forefront in embryonic stem cell research, according to a recent joint study by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology." — The Washington Times Wednesday, April 15, 2009
And of course, we can say this is not true, because there is high infant mortality in Iran, which turns out to be not that high as you believe. I don't think ranking in infant mortality is gauged the way you think, to simply say OK here are the numbers and let's rate countries from 1 to 200 - meaning that countries with less complete demographic statistics are ranked higher than those with more accurate data. Here is a world bank map that not only does not place Iran among the highest numbers but also it look like it is somewhere quite in the middle.
http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/indicators/SP.DYN.IMRT.IN
Also UNICEF places Iran at the rank of TWENTY-TWO (22) for infant mortality in 2010 declining from 1990's rank which was 50.
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/iran_statistics.html
This figure for the US is 7 declining from 9 in 1990.
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/usa_statistics.
Here is LIFE EXPECTANCY:
US (as an example of a rich 1st world country — but of course not Sweden or Norway):
Life expectancy: females as a % of males, 2010 ——— Rank: 107
IRAN
Life expectancy: females as a % of males, 2010 ——— Rank: 105
Life Expectancy at Birth:
US ——— Life expectancy at birth (years), 2010 ——— Rank: 78
IRAN —— Life expectancy at birth (years), 2010 ——— Rank: 73
And here, a little on Iran's progress in your terms, that is infant mortality:
Under-5 mortality rate, 1970
196
Under-5 mortality rate, 1990
65
Under-5 mortality rate, 2000
44
Under-5 mortality rate, 2010
26
Average annual rate of reduction (%), 1970-1990
5.5
Average annual rate of reduction (%), 1990-2000
3.9
Average annual rate of reduction (%), 2000-2010
5.3
Average annual rate of reduction (%), 1990-2010
4.6
So, I am not sure how trustworthy is your navigation of your favorite NEW agencies! :D Maybe you like UN's numbers better than those of the World Bank or UNICEF. I am not saying there is a great difference in reliability of these sources, but each of them can be countered using the other one. Maybe it's better if you stop turning the infant mortality rate into a stick and try beating Iran with it and accept that the country is growing. Not yet cutting edge like the US or France, but it is growing, and it is doing so quite rapidly.
@foadtorshizi: Nice try. Follow your own link to http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/indicators/SP.DYN.IMRT.IN and then go to country rankings. It goes from the lowest infant mortality (Iceland at 188) to the highest (Sierra Leone at 1). IRI is Number 83, which means it is in the BOTTOM half. Pathetic!
DeleteAnd BTW, those life expectancy numbers you quote aren't the country RANK!!! They are the life expectancy in YEARS. That is Absolutely Hilarious!!! Again, nice try! (I got a good laugh out of that). And Iran's infant mortality rate was falling dramatically during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Did you just "forget" to include those years?
As far as context, the Shah's regime enjoyed high oil prices only for the period 1973-1978. The current Islamist terrorist regime has made as much from oil revenues in only the last 8 years alone than Iran did in the preceding nearly century, going all the way back to the Qajar era! But, please keep drinking that IRI Kool Aid while living in the Satanic West.
So life expectancy in the US is 107?!!!!
DeleteAlso, I said it is around the middle. 87 is more around the middle than the bottom you were claiming.
It's quite nice that you showed your true colors. Shah's regime!!! What an puppet.
Your data numbers on income might be correct but since you don't know how to analyze numbers your conclusion is bogus. Oil income should not be decontextualized. It should be given in comparison with gold so that one knows what its purchasing power is. The same argument was made against Ahmadinejad and times published an article showing vis-a-vis gold price Ahmadinejad's government had the lowest income compared to Rafsanjani and Khatami.
I think this is pathetic, to have numbers and not the mental faculty to analyze it.
You're not very good at this, are you? Look again at what you wrote: Life expectancy: females as a % of males. Percentage. Got that? Percentage, genius, not "Rank" (as you falsely claimed). However, what I was referring to was the part where you wrote:
DeleteLife Expectancy at Birth:
US ——— Life expectancy at birth (years), 2010 ——— Rank: 78
IRAN —— Life expectancy at birth (years), 2010 ——— Rank: 73
That is another fabrication on your part. The above refers to YEARS, not "Rank", as you again tried to pass off dishonestly. Your "mental faculties" really speak for themselves. They are of a caliber for you to be Minister of Education in the Islamic paradise (I love the fact that the IRI Minister of EDUCATION claims to hold a non-existent Ph.D. from a non-existent university!):
http://blogs.nature.com/news/2009/09/exclusive_paper_authored_by_ir.html
You may even have the credentials to be the next Rahbar-e Moazzam. Is your "rowzeh-khani" as good as your above-demonstrated factual analysis? Please advise.
BTW, I said the IRI is not ranked even in the Top 100, and it is in the "BOTTOM half" -- both of which are true. You were saying?
DeleteI mistakenly said Kamran Daneshjoo (the IRI "cabinet minister" with a phony Ph.D. from a phony university) was Minister of Education. Actually, he is Minister of "Science, Research, and Technology". The ironies never end in the Islamic paradise, do they?
DeleteOk. You are right about the percentage. I wasn't paying enough attention.
DeleteBut, 78 compared to 73 years of life expectancy. And that is your whole claim on Iran being far beyond all countries.
If my mental faculties allow me to be a minister in Iran be sure that yours won't. You didn't respond to the gold / oil ratio mr. Einstein.
See. Even geniuses like you make mistakes. It's not the best argument to capitalize on those mistake to buy credit for oneself.
DeleteI provided you with a list of Iran's indices of growth in sciences such as stem cell research and you decided to ignore those for the 78-73 life expectancy ratio of yours. This is dishonesty in argument not making honest mistakes.
@ foadtorshizi: what can I say, but you are right. The Islamic paradise not only has Eslam-e Nab-e Mohammadi, but it is also a leading, rapidly rising scientific and technological innovator. If that's what you want to believe, you are free to believe whatever you want. Personally, I believe that the Minister of "Science, Research, and Technology" is an accomplished academic and that the Islamic paradise is actually doing quite well to not even make the Top 100 in infant mortality and life expectancy despite the hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars in oil revenue (plus or minus the crucial "gold/oil" ratio). At this rate of progress, soon the Americans, Canadians, etc will be lining up at IRI embassies to get visas to the Islamic paradise. Satisfied?
DeleteI don't think that is what I was saying that Iran will surpass Canada and the US soon. But you tend to take refuge in sarcasm instead of trying to have a constructive discussion. Neither Iran is a paradise nor the US or any other country for that matter. I believe it is quite important to keep a critical distance with one's own home country, but that doesn't and shouldn't mean to blindly disregard the progress that is taking place. And let me assure you that I do believe this progress is rapid. I travel to Iran maybe twice a year and I see it in front of my eyes. That of course is not enough as I am myself against subscribing to a metaphysics of presence, but the figures tend to agree with me. That's precisely why Iran has been a vexing problem for the world bullies for the past 20 years and will be so for long from now.
DeleteAh, the familiar IRI garbage rhetoric was bound to show up sooner or later (I was wondering when it would show up): "That's precisely why Iran has been a vexing problem for the world bullies for the past 20 years and will be so for long from now."
DeleteThe Great Democratic People's Proletarian Islamic Republic, the champion of "rapid" scientific and technological progress, will bring the Satanic United States to its knees. Our Emam-e Aziz was right all along. Keep drinking (and dispensing) your IRI Kool Aid while living in the very same "world bullies" country. Yeah, right!
ANON march 22-at 4:45 pm-
Delete-YOU said mud huts?- you must be heading somewhere !and Im afraid YOU MAY END UP LIVING LONELY UNDER A BRIDGE!-look how you are lost-@African are backward because they live in mud huts[fools] @Iranians are backward because they are building their country as per their capacity[fools]-
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteTalking to imperialism-apologizers, and defenders of the Shah-e mal'oom, and in this case a mediocre one at best, is a waste of time. Keep focusing on your brilliant insult line which is not even remotely true instead of responding to the points raised about Iran's growth. Also, I don't live in the US. I am here temporarily to study but that shouldn't even play a part in a serious discussion. That's why I think you are a mediocre apologizer. Instead of responding to my words, you decided to either pick up on typos, stick with the rhetoric, or reproduce the lazy argument of "why are you here then?" I don't think any country's growth should bring others to their knees. This is perhaps how you think. I believe Iran's strength is precisely in that it has made all these developments and progresses being entirely blocked away from western technology. Also, when I said go beyond your favorite news agencies, I wasn't talking about reading more news. Read something that gives you some perspective as it seems there is quite of void of it in your reasoning. For example, for a discussion of the presence of a third world in the United States look at Harry Harootunian, "Remembering the Historical Present." (If your call for advice was genuine, and not like your responses and accusations here.)
DeleteLook who is talking about being an apologist (not "apologizer"). A West-residing Groupie and propagandist of an Islamist terrorist tyranny which has executed tens of thousands of Iranian men and women (many of them high school and college students) and which sent hundreds of thousands of young men and teenage boys to their deaths so that Emam could "liberate" Karbala and the Qods. And here he is, vomiting up the usual IRI talking points garbage propaganda against the Great Satan, the Shah, etc, etc -- everyone and anyone except for the terrorist tyranny which is the leading murderer and rapist of Iranian men and women in the country's recent history. How absolutely pathetic!
DeleteI believe you shouldn't read what I suggested. Maybe just turning off LA royalist cheapo TV stations will undo some of the indoctrination. Keep regurgitating all those LA TV rhetoric and watch In awe Iran blooming daily and take your anger out on your comments here. That kind of hatred is pathetic and it deserves pity. Have a good day and don't waste your time here any longer. In the meanwhile you can watch some LA TV.
DeleteYou are a quintessential WEST-residing IRI Groupie: you don't have the capacity or literacy to argue the facts, so you vomit up the official IRI propaganda and rhetoric! Oh yeah, the IRI is "blooming daily" -- we see the "blooming" in its pitiful infant mortality and life expectancy, its tens of thousands of executions of Iranians, its piece-of-junk Russian nuclear reactor, etc, etc. I hope your view of the Islamist regime's "daly blooming" is nice while living in the Satanic West. I bet it is!
Delete@foadtorshizi,why don't you come out with it and just simply say despite your "PHD" education you are still just another cheap junky supporter of the Islamic Gangsters and suppliers in Tehran.
DeleteToadies like toadtorhizi know that a secular constitutional parliamentary democracy is the only way forward for Iran.And that's why these minions of the regime have been instructed to try so hard without any success to discredit it.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI am not discrediting a secular government. In fact I'm entirely for it. None of the things I have said here even remotely shows my views on secularism. I have my own problems with it. You can find in Talal Al-Assad's works how secularism is a different form of metaphysics of truth production, but that might be too big for your tiny brains. Anyways, the problem with most of you who criticize Iran's government is that you are usually terrible at it precisely because you turn most dialogs into personal attacks and accusations. I simply do not care if you think I am a minion of Iran's government or not, as making empty accusations should not be so hard. I can probably accuse most of you to be pitiful beggars of the CIA or the Hoover institute and the like, but that doesn't contribute in any meaningful way to this conversation. How brave of you all to post anonymously but then attack me at a personal level or make silly jokes about my name, which shows how culturally intolerant you are to difference. Anyways, you guys keep babbling and have fun with each others silly "sad-man-ye-ghaaz" jokes as I am out of here.
DeleteNote to site moderator: I am sending comments via mobile so if it posts twice or more please delete the extra ones.
@foadtorshizi,people like you have one agenda only and that is to ridicule at any opposition against the regime that pays you.
DeleteIf you want to write about "culturally intolerant" then look no further than Islamic "republic" ongoing multiple crimes against the general public's opposition towards it.
You are as the other Anon rightly said,a West residing hypocrite.
Thanks Mark, the pics are sweet as always.
ReplyDeleteI like these picture but perhaps one compilation per week would strike a better balance without overwhelming the other blog postings.
ReplyDeleteOops! missed the 's' in pictures.
DeleteDid this dumb road really warrant three separate posts?
ReplyDeleteThis road will be helpful for American tanks rolling into Tehran.
ReplyDeleteYou never know the way this regime is going there might be Russian and Chinese tanks rolling down those roads in the near future as well.
Delete