Assem El-Gazzar, the Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities inspected the 300-km Siwa/Matrouh dual road being built by the Central Agency for Reconstruction (CAR) to enhance links between Siwa Oasis and northwest coastal development zones, Invest-Gate reports.

Roughly 100 km of the most dangerous stretch is now complete, from km 50 to 150, in preparation for trial operation. This section sees the most accidents on the existing single-lane road.

The project will strengthen ties between Siwa and the international coastal highway, and from there to current hubs in the northwest, including Dekheila and Alexandria ports to the east and Libya and North Africa to the west.

This will stimulate commercial movement and make it easier to transport people, goods, and local products to and from Siwa Oasis, El-Gazzar said, also aiming to boost Siwa tourism.

For his part, Mahmoud Nassar, Head of the CAR, said the road mainly serves future projects in the Siwa region by directly connecting it to Matrouh and the wider regional network, to build new communities along both sides through development and land reclamation within Siwa city.

Built at EGP 4 bn, the 11.25-meter wide, 120 kph dual road will replace the single-lane route that cannot handle large loads, causing many accidents, according to the CAR head.

Dualization boosts efficiency, capacity, and safety by separating traffic flows and reducing accident rates on the current road.

The project is the first concrete road in the northwest, chosen for durability with heavy truck loads to and from Siwa alongside flood protections. Eight local firms are constructing it.