Marrakech-Ouarzazate Tunnel: Technical Delays, 12 Billion Dirham Cost

Gone is the "Tichka tunnel," it must now be called the "Ourika tunnel." Guest on the television program "Saât Assaraha," Nizar Baraka praised the merits of this underground structure. The minister sees this road infrastructure as a development accelerator. A territorial urgency amplified by the consequences of the Al Haouz earthquake. Facing the challenges for these mountain provinces, he assures: "This project is possible and necessary."

On Bladi.net : Ourika Tunnel: Nizar Baraka points to the inability of Moroccan companies

Yet the machinery is braked before the first blow of the pickaxe. While preparatory studies are well underway, the transition to practice is stuck. Engineers absolutely need to drill an exploratory gallery to probe the High Atlas rock and anticipate risks. But the two calls for tenders launched by the State have not succeeded. The ministry is now discussing with specialized international companies to unblock the situation.

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This delay complicates matters for a project whose estimate is staggering: the bill should amount to between 10 and 12 billion dirhams. Despite the lack of results on these initial contracts, the executive refuses to abandon this link deemed essential. The realization of the route will, however, require much patience. Aware of the deadlines imposed by this decisive phase, Nizar Baraka himself admitted: "We may have to wait for the next government."