Egypt: A highway adjoining the Mediterranean coast, underway

The Egyptian daily al-Akhbar said on Thursday that works in the highway which adjoins the coast of the Mediterranean and links between Rafah to the east and al-Salloum on the borders with Libya to the West will be completed by the year 2002.

The paper quoted the chairman of constructing the northern coast department Ahmad Abu Alafah as saying that the cost of the highway will be 2.5 billion Egyptian pounds ( USD 600 million) and will be of a length of 1050 Km This highway is composed of three parts. the first part links between Rafah and Port Saeed and is of 220 Km and works completed in it in 1996 and the second links between Alexandria and al-Salloum at a length of 550 Km and was partially opened in 1995 and the third part includes 280 Km linking between Alexandria and Port Saeed and is currently under construction.

The paper added that the highway will permit linking between major ports like Alexandria and Port Saeed and ensures the development of the agricultural areas at the Coast.