Morocco Accelerates Road Infrastructure Upgrades Ahead of 2030 World Cup

In Morocco, preparations for the 2030 World Cup are well underway. According to the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, his department, in collaboration with all involved partners, has designed a strategy to improve road axes serving major cities as well as peripheral areas, to ensure better connectivity and host the event under the best conditions, reports L’Économiste. The plan is to implement large-scale road projects aimed at modernizing the national road network.

It is thus planned to rehabilitate road sections in about 30 cities. On the maintenance side, nearly 3 billion dirhams are allocated each year, representing about 46% of the road budget for restoring damaged roads, renovating deteriorating structures, and reinforcing bridges to cope with increased traffic.

There are numerous strategic projects aimed at expanding the national highway network. These include tripling the highways on the Casablanca-Berrechid axes, the Casablanca bypass, as well as the construction of a new 30 km Tit Mellil-Berrechid highway. The continental Rabat-Casablanca highway, a 59 km axis scheduled to open in 2029, remains the major project. It is also planned to accelerate work on the Guercif-Nador highway, a 104 km project to connect the Nador West Med port to the national highway network, with an estimated investment of 7.9 billion dirhams.

Regarding the national expressway network, it currently extends over nearly 2,177 km, the minister recalled, adding that many large-scale projects are underway. These include the Tiznit-Dakhla expressway, the Fez-Taounate connection via the N8, as well as the connection between the Nador West Med port and the neighboring cities of Nador, Driouch, and Kassita.