Kalabsha Road – Press photo
CAIRO – 3 November 2020: Minister of Transportation Kamel al-Wazir announced on Tuesday the completion of Kalabsha Road built over the Nile River in Aswan.
The cost of constructions stands at LE10.05 billion, while the measurements are 23 kilometers in length, and 21 meters in width (two lanes in each direction). The road consists of nine bridges and five tunnels that lie at intersections with other roads.
The road – which is now ready for inauguration – connects the Western Desert Road with the Eastern Agricultural Road. Both roads link Cairo and Aswan together. It will serve in transporting agricultural products from Wadi Naqra farms and Eastern Nasr Nubia in the East to the Upper Egypt Western Desert Road. As such, the load on Upper Egypt Eastern Road will be alleviated. The road will also serve villages near the desert, urban expansions, Kom Ombo Sugar Refinery, and Benban Solar Park.
The minister was in Aswan to also check on the progress rate of two other roads. One is Draw Road worth LE1.4 billion and extending over 18 kilometers. It has a width of 21 meters, and consists of seven bridges and two tunnels. The road connects the Eastern Agricultural Road on one hand, and the Western Desert Road and the Western Agricultural Road on the other hand.
The road also serves the mines at Kalabsha and Balana, Benban Solar Park, agricultural lands western Kom Ombo, and the One Million and Half Feddans Project aimed at land reclamation in the Western Desert.
The minister checked the road stretching between Aswan and Edfu over 100 kilometers. That road is the second phase of the upgrade of Cairo-Aswan Western Desert Road, which has an extension to Arqin spanning over 1,155 kilometers. The Cairo-Aswan Western Desert Road plays a major role in connecting Upper Egypt's governorates together, and is intended to be part of Cairo-Cape Town Road.
The other project the minister was following on is Aswan Reservoir Alternative Road constructed at a cost of almost LE2 billion and substituting another road that is located on the reservoir's body. The length and width of that road are 5.4 kilometers and 29 meters, respectively. It has three lanes in each direction, two bridges, and a tunnel. One of the bridges – having a length of 2 kilometers - crosses over the Nile River. The other bridge and the tunnel lie on the Western Desert Road. The road will be ready for operation by the end of 2020.
The minister told press that 14 roads – worth LE18.5 billion – are planned for construction in Upper Egypt. Of those three – worth LE1.5 billion - are finished. Those are Tama Road, Girga Road, and Bani Mazar Road.
The construction of nine others – worth LE13.5 billion – is underway. Those are Adly Mansour Road, Samalout Road, Qos Road, Kalabsha Road, Fashn Road, Abou Tig Road, Dairot Road, Draw Road, and Aswan Reservoir Alternative Road.
Constructions in the remaining two – worth LE3.5 billion – have not begun yet as they are scheduled to kick off in FY2021/2022. Those are Manfalout Road and Northern Luxor Road.
The minister visited the Armant/Wahat section of the Western Desert Road to check up on the upgrade works taking place. That section extends over 18 kilometers and is part of the ministry's plan to develop 37 kilometers of the Western Desert Road.
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