ADM reports on the progress of the last two lots of the Casablanca-Berrechid highway tripling project and the Casablanca bypass highway
- A large-scale project carried out by ADM under traffic, on some of the busiest sections of the Kingdom.
- A structuring project which aims to streamline traffic passing through Greater Casablanca.
- A site carried out 100% by Moroccan skills using innovative techniques and ingenious phasing to minimize traffic disruption.
- A global investment of more than two billion dirhams.
context
In recent years, motorway traffic has increased considerably on the Casablanca – Kenitra axis. And in order to prevent any traffic congestion in the future, ADM has launched several structuring projects to smooth traffic on this strategic axis while ensuring the safety of its customers-users.
Among these projects is the project to triple the Casablanca-Berrechid highway and the Casablanca bypass highway, which aims to streamline traffic transiting through greater Casablanca and facilitate access to socio-economic facilities in the region, in particular at the Mohamed V international airport.
The project concerns a 60 km line going from the Mohammedia junction to the Berrechid motorway junction via the Lissasfa junction, carried out for a global budget of more than two billion DH.
The safety of highway users at the heart of ADM’s project planning
Representing one of the most complex projects to carry out, since it concerns the tripling of motorway sections with heavy traffic serving vital infrastructures and requiring the maintenance of traffic in 2×2 during the period of the works, ADM took care to the implementation of an ingenious phasing with the aim of minimizing the inconvenience caused and securing the surroundings of the site, in order to ensure the maintenance of the level of service offered to the client-user.
This planning defined two main phases:
Durant the first stage which ran from 2016 to 2019, ADM scheduled the completion of the preparatory work which consisted of:
- Increasing the capacity of the toll stations at Tit Mellil, Bouskoura, Berrechid and Mohammed V airport and widening the highway over 3 km on either side of these four stations;
- The compliance of pedestrian bridges to overhang a 2×3 lane motorway;
- The restoration of the railway line overlooking the highway and serving the Mohammed V airport.
This phase mobilized a budget of 400 million dirhams financed entirely by ADM’s own funds.
The second stagestarted at the end of 2019, was split into four lots:
- Lot 1: from the Ain Harrouda junction to the Tit Mellil interchange (12.8 km).
- Lot 2: from the Tit Mellil interchange to the Lissasfa junction (18.2 km).
- Lot 3: from the Sidi Maarouf interchange to the Bouskoura toll station (15.3 km).
- Lot 4: from the Bouskoura toll station to the Berrechid motorway junction (10.7 km).
This phase mobilized a global budget of 1.75 Billion of DH financed by concessional loans from donors, bond loans and equity (ADM).
After the completion of the tripling works of the two lots 1 and 4 in 2021, ADM has started the expansion of lots 2 and 3.
Progress of a complex project carried out 100% by Moroccan skills
the 3th Lot 4 track was put into service in March 2021, after 15 months of work, this section saw the completion of a complex operation consisting of the replacement of the railway bridge serving Mohammed V airport at Pk12, in addition to the deployment of a new generation of toll stations.
The tripling works for lot 1 ended in November 2021, after 20 months of execution.
As for the work to widen lots 2 and 3, they reached a state of progress amounting to 33% and 22% respectively, despite the difficulties encountered along the route, particularly in terms of managing the very high traffic on these motorway axes.
ADM is therefore ensuring the continuity of this work, at a steady pace, with a view to shortening execution times and reducing the inconvenience caused to highway users.
In addition, ADM has entrusted the management of this complex project to its technical expertise subsidiary ADM PROJET. It provides all stakeholders with the accumulated expertise of its technicians and engineers in the construction of major infrastructure projects.
Otherwise, and like the two lots 1 and 4, the widening works of sections 2 and 3 are entrusted to Moroccan companies.
This competition for Moroccan skills is at the heart of ADM’s commitments, which has set itself, among its strategic objectives, the role of locomotive of its ecosystem and precursor in terms of road and motorway infrastructures, to hoist our companies and national executives to the most high levels of technicality, competitiveness and performance.
ADM innovates in the execution of construction sites
The widening of the Casablanca – Berrechid highway and the Casablanca bypass highway was an opportunity for engineers from ADM and its technical expertise subsidiary to set up innovative techniques in the construction of road and motorway infrastructure.
Reconstruction and replacement of the railway bridge serving the Mohammed V airport at Pk12 of the Casablanca-Berrechid highway by two metal bridges is a perfect example .This operation was carried out with a innovative technique which consists of assembling the elements of each metal bridge in the factory, transporting them to the site via special convoys and installing them at their final location by mobile machinery equipped with several axles and adapted to the large size of the structure ( Self-propelled Modular Trailer). This innovation allowed reducing the duration of traffic suspension on the highway, from 10 days to just a few hours.
At the same time, ADM has reconfigured the toll system with the aim of reducing the number of stops at toll stations, traffic fluidity and reducing travel time on this axis.
On the ground, this objective is expressed through the following projects:
- The removal of the toll station at Berrechid Sud located at kilometer point 34 (PK 34) of the motorway axis Casablanca–Agadir.
- Removal of the station East Berrechid located at PK 5 of the motorway axis Berrechid – Béni Mellal.
- The creation of two new toll stations, the first at the entry ramp to Berrechid North and the second at the level of the interchange Berrechid Sud.