Construction work has been halted for almost two and a half years, with cranes, construction materials and hanging cables posing a threat to passersby, as well as children entering an unsecured building: this is the situation of an abandoned commercial project in the Ennasr 2 district, in the Ariana Governorate.
The project has become a growing source of concern for residents, who continually demand urgent intervention from the competent authorities, especially since the site lies along the roadside and in close proximity to a private primary school.
Several residents have called on the Ariana Municipality as well as the various stakeholders involved to secure the surroundings of the site and to install a protective barrier preventing children and passersby from accessing the building. They also demand that measures be taken regarding the cranes and suspended structures.
The stoppage of work is linked to legal issues, following which the project was placed under judicial supervision, resulting in an indefinite suspension of the construction.
In a statement to the Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) agency, the president of the Riadh Ennasr Citizenship Association, Abdelhamid Thabet, indicated that the competent authorities had already been notified regarding this situation, particularly concerning the cranes.
Some of them have been removed, while others remain on the site.
The association believes that the cranes, suspended structures, and construction materials pose a real danger, notably due to the absence of adequate protections along the road.
Abdelhamid Thabet stressed that the situation could no longer wait any longer, given the growing number of complaints regarding the project. He called for the necessary protective measures to be put in place around the site, while awaiting the resolution of its legal and judicial status.
He also emphasized that the safety of passers-by, students, and residents must be a priority, especially since the project is located in a residential area near a school.
The concerns are not limited to the risk of cranes or construction materials falling. Several participants also noted that the building is now accessible to children, who enter it to play, which further increases the risks, especially due to the presence of basement levels.
Youssef Ammari, who has been monitoring the building during the day for nearly a year, told TAP that he had repeatedly observed young children entering the building. He also reported delays in paying the guards’ salaries.
Meanwhile, the guard of the neighboring private school confirmed that students could enter the building and that it posed a real danger to their safety. He called for securing the site and preventing children from accessing it, especially due to the presence of basement levels likely to cause serious accidents.
For his part, Moncef Omri, a neighborhood resident, stated that the situation was no longer limited to concerns, as damage had already been recorded. Cars, in particular, were damaged after the fall of certain metal elements during a storm.
He warned of the risk that a crane or materials on the site could fall on passersby, especially in the absence of protective barriers along the road.
A local official source stated that “the competent services will coordinate their efforts to take the necessary measures as soon as possible.”
