"Nothing is Impossible" - On the Construction of the Algerian "Century Project" by China's Road Builder Expressway | Algeria | China
Algiers, July 18 (Xinhua) - In mid July, the sun shone brightly in Taf Province, Algeria.
At the project site of the last 84 kilometers of the eastern section of the Algerian East West Expressway near the Tunisian border, engineering and technical personnel from China and Algeria braved the scorching sun, racing against time.
"This section of the road has important economic and social significance," Giotni bin Isa, the head of the "84 kilometer project" at the Algerian Highway Authority, told Xinhua News Agency reporters.
The "84 kilometer project" is undertaken by China CITIC Construction Co., Ltd. The completion and opening of the project will mean that the 1216 kilometer long East West Expressway connecting 17 provinces of Algeria will be fully connected, bringing Algeria closer to neighboring countries.
On July 5th, in Taf Province, Algeria, Qi Shujie, Deputy General Manager of CITIC Construction Algeria, and Mohammad Salah Kafi, Head of the Eastern Region of the Algeria Expressway Management Bureau, jointly laid the final meter of asphalt for the Algeria East West Expressway. Shen Jizhong
The East West Expressway is known as the "Century Project". Between 2006 and 2012, a consortium of Chinese enterprises undertook the construction of a 528 kilometer road section. As for the "84 kilometer project", CITIC Construction was not the initial contractor, but took over midway.
!["Nothing is Impossible" - On the Construction of the Algerian "Century Project" by China's Road Builder Expressway | Algeria | China](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/5261d3c0aac2062912e0a07a2922328a.jpg)
Due to the complex terrain and geological conditions, the "84 kilometer project" is notorious for its high difficulty and cost. "In Europe, roadbeds with a filling height greater than 5 meters are called high fill, and the highest fill in this section reaches 44.7 meters." The project's chief engineer, Ji Zongli, said, "In addition, the local fill contains mud and limestone, which is made of stone during excavation, weathered soil, and hydrated mud. This can be considered a 'disaster' for roadbed construction."
The Japanese company, which originally undertook the construction of the East section of the East West Expressway, abandoned this last 84 kilometer section. Therefore, although the remaining sections of the East West Expressway were opened many years ago, this "century project" has always been a "dead end".
As the owner, the Algerian Highway Authority ultimately chose CITIC Construction to undertake this project. Director Mohammad Haldi said, "In the previous cooperation to build the western section, CITIC Construction strictly abided by laws, regulations, and international norms, tried every means to solve the problems, and won the trust of the Algerian side."
On June 21st, in Taf Province, Algeria, construction workers laid asphalt overnight in preparation for the opening of the 84 kilometer project of the Algerian East West Expressway. Shen Jizhong
On November 7, 2017, CITIC Construction received a project commencement notice from the Expressway Management Bureau, and immediately launched the final "84 kilometer project" of the East West Expressway.
In August 2022, a wildfire broke out in northern Algeria. Workers of the "84 kilometer project" used construction machinery to clear fire barriers in the forest, successfully curbing the spread of the wildfire. The photo of the construction machinery being put into fire rescue with "CITIC Construction" printed on it has been published by mainstream media in Ado, and has attracted many likes from netizens on social media. Netizens say that Chinese engineers are "true friends".
!["Nothing is Impossible" - On the Construction of the Algerian "Century Project" by China's Road Builder Expressway | Algeria | China](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/b707f7cd32e25166268df6b067cea56b.jpg)
At the turn of spring and summer this year, Taf Province experienced an unusually heavy rainfall that lasted for a month and a half. The severe weather has seriously affected the construction progress. "However, the road builders at CITIC Construction have not retreated. With their tenacious efforts, nothing is impossible," said geological expert Et Mahmud.
According to Qi Shujie, Deputy General Manager of CITIC Construction Algeria, in addition to building roads, the company is also actively fulfilling social responsibilities in the local area. "We have jointly funded the construction of a large project management college and a national quality control center with China Railway Construction Association. We have trained over 16000 Algerian infrastructure technicians and provided many local engineers with the opportunity to study in China."
"Young Algerian engineers have accumulated experience and grown rapidly through long-term cooperation with Chinese colleagues, representing a bright future for the Algerian engineering industry," said Mohammad Salah Kafi, the head of the eastern region of the Algerian Highway Authority.