Upgrading work is being carried out on Cairo’s Ring Road. The project is needed to cope with Egypt’s fast growing population and the city’s increasing vehicle numbers.
Congestion is a frequent problem on Cairo’s road network and the city is notorious for its lengthy traffic delays at peak periods. The Ring Road widening work is intended to boost capacity and cut journey times, as well as helping to boost safety for users.
The work is costing over US$408 million and 106km of the Ring Road will be widened. At present the route features four lanes in either direction. However, the plan is to increase the width of the Ring Road to a minimum of seven lanes in either direction and eight lanes in either direction for the sections currently suffering the worst delays at peak periods.
Included in the work is the widening of the Autostrad Bridge by some 30%, while the Mounbi Bridge is also being widened as part of the project. In addition, Egypt’s Ministry of Transport intends to include dedicated lanes for a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system for the project.
However, the construction of a new overpass in Giza has been the subject of controversy due to its extremely close proximity to residential buildings.
