The Minister of Equipment and Housing, Slah Zouari, carried out this Tuesday a working visit to inspect the progress of the works on the new Bizerte bridge, accompanied by the regional governor, Salem Ben Yaacoub, the general director of the unit responsible for the implementation of the project, the companies in charge of the works, the Secretary General of the governorate, the regional director of Equipment and Housing in Bizerte, as well as several central and regional executives.
At the outset of the visit, the minister and the delegation accompanying him noted the progress of the works on the first phase of the Bizerte bridge project, which includes the construction of a 4.7-kilometer express road, equipped with three interchanges, notably at the junction of National Route 8 and Highway A4.
According to a ministry communiqué, he also took note of the progress of the works on the third phase, which involves the construction of a 2.7-kilometer express road, with the construction of an interchange at the level of National Route 11 leading to Menzel Bourguiba.
In the same context, the minister urged the Tunisian companies responsible for the works to accelerate the pace of the project so that the interchanges can enter service before the summer, in order to ease traffic pressure in the region. It should be noted that the progress rate of the first and third phases has reached nearly 75%.
During a working session held by the minister on the site of the second phase of the project with the managers of the Chinese company, he stressed the importance of the new bridge, regarded as the first of its kind in Africa and the second in the world in terms of its technical characteristics, particularly with regard to the concrete used and the metal structure.
He called on the Chinese side to mobilize more human and logistical resources in order to accelerate the pace of realization, to catch up with the delay recorded and to meet the deadline agreed in the completion schedule, while ensuring the commissioning of the new bridge at the end of 2027. He also insisted on the need for real-time monitoring and close coordination among the various stakeholders in order to overcome any difficulties that might arise during the construction.
The minister also inspected the works on installing deep-sea foundations for the main bridge, whose length is estimated at 2.1 kilometers at the level of the Bizerte Canal, with a height of about 60 meters above sea level.
The progress rate of this part has reached 16%. He indicated that completing the studies, as well as the technical elements and details, will allow accelerating the pace of the works and fulfilling the commitments made.
