Rabat – The Tiznit-Dakhla highway is on schedule to be completed this year, the project’s supervisors have told the press.
Work on the highway is progressing steadily, said Yassine Ansir, head of the technical installations department on the project.
“The 220km long road linking Tan-Tan to Laayoune, which is included in this project, is more than 80% complete,” he explained. “The widening and strengthening of the road linking Laayoune to Dakhla is complete.”
Issues relating to COVID-19 seemed to be setting the project back last year, but it seems to be back on track now.
Abdelkader Amara, Morocco’s previous Minister of Transport, had stressed the importance of contractors meeting the deadlines, asserting that any companies that fail in that regard would have their contracts terminated.
The project was announced in 2015, with an estimated completion time of 6 years, and is one of the flagship development projects in the region.
Extending over 1,000 kilometers and costing MAD 10 billion ($1 billion), the highway is expected to reduce the time and cost of transport for people and goods. Traffic flow, safety, and comfort are also expected to be improved.
The highway is abiding by international standards while ensuring a high degree of safety, according to Morocco’s government. It is expected to not only allow greater access to Western Sahara, but also to sub-Saharan Africa.
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