Rabat – Mbarek Fancha, director of the provisional directorate for the development of the Tiznit-Dakhla highway, said on Friday that the project is more than 80% completed.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 11th National Congress of Roads, held in Dakhla, Fancha said the project is progressing well, adding that 800 kilometers of road and 12 major structures have been finished, with a budget of MAD 8.8 billion ($826 million).
Fancha added that the road linking Tiznit with Laayoune is around 75% finished, specifying that 555 kilometers have been finished, with a budget of MAD 7.5 billion ($704 million).
The highway aims to improve connectivity between Dakhla and other regions in Morocco, boosting economic development in the country’s southern provinces.
Stretching over 1,055 kilometers, the road is expected to provide businesses and truckers with better and faster shipping routes to Dakhla, in addition to making the southern provinces more accessible for tourists.
One of its most notable landmarks is a 1.7-kilometer long viaduct over Oued Sakia El Hamra, which would be the longest structure of its kind in Morocco once completed.
In addition to the vital highway, other projects in Dakhla aim to improve the city’s economic outlook and attract outside investors. These include an expansion of the Dakhla airport and the new Dakhla Atlantic port.
