ADM VI

The project consists of two sections of motorway totalling 98 km: (i) widening of the Casablanca-Rabat motorway to a three-lane dual carriageway (57 km) and (ii) construction of the Rabat motorway bypass (41 km).

The purpose of widening the Casablanca-Rabat motorway is to provide infrastructure that can cope with the traffic growth on this route, which is currently a two-lane dual carriageway. Most of the motorway section (85%) will be enlarged inwards principally by making use of the central reservation, with the remainder (15%) being extended outwards on the approaches to the viaducts. The widening work has been sub-divided into a number of lots in order to keep the inconvenience caused to the motorway's users to a minimum.

The Rabat motorway bypass is designed to (i) divert through traffic away from the cities of Temara, Rabat and Salé; (ii) link the motorways that converge on the Rabat-Salé metropolitan area from the south (Rabat-Casablanca motorway and its extension towards El Jadida and Marrakesh), the east (Rabat-Fez motorway) and the north (Rabat-Tangiers motorway).

If the project were located within the EU, it would be covered in part by Annex 1 (Rabat bypass) and in part by Annex 2 (Rabat-Casablanca widening) of the European Directive on environmental impact assessments (85/337/EEC).

Extensive environmental studies were undertaken for the Rabat-Casablanca motorway widening. As it will primarily use the existing central reservation, the residual impact is considered to be minimal.

Preliminary studies have been carried out for the Rabat bypass and the communities affected by the project have been consulted. Another more detailed study is now in progress.

Having carried out the previous projects, the promoter is fully familiar with the Bank’s procurement procedures and issues international calls for tender.