The Autoroute Casablanca–Agadir is a new main road in Morocco. Building began in 2000 and the road was inaugurated on 21 June 2010 by Prince Moulay Rachid.Press-release Inauguration new Agadir-Marrakesh road , visited 25 June 2010
The road is long and connects the cities of Casablanca and Agadir through the city of Marrakesh and High Atlas mountains.
Casablanca–Marrakesh
It has been designated A3 as its identity marker. Total length is 210 km: 52 km Casablanca–Settat and 158 km Settat–Marrakesh, including A301.ADM's PDF publication: 2007 in figures , visited 23 August 2008
The expressway takes its origins south of the residential area of Casablanca, at the interchange with the A1 Rabat-Safi expressway. It continues south past Bouskoura and serves the Mohamed V airport with an exit. A toll station is placed just south of there. The road then circumvales the town of Berrechid serving it with an exit north of it for south-bound traffic and one south of it for north-bound traffic.
The road was opened in 2002 to Settat, and construction on the remaining part started in 2003 reaching Marrakesh in 2007. In 2005 the 17 km bypass of Settat opened.Important dates on ADM website, visited 23 August 2008 When the Marrakesh–Agadir expressway opened in 2009 it was directly connected to this A3.
The Casablanca–Marrakesh highway was completed and opened to traffic on April 17, 2007.Opening of completed road by king
Toll-revenues of this road, including the Casablanca bypass, totaled 219 million dirhams, reaching 3rd spot of top earnersMain financial figures on ADM's website, visited 23 August 2008
Marrakesh–Agadir
Financial In June 2004 the Moroccan operator of expressways ADM signed an agreement with the Hasan II Society for economic and social development for a refinancing scheme of the ADM. This financial injection made construction of new roads possible and construction started in 2006.Details from Project page on ADM site
The road is a toll road or péage to pay back the investments.
Beside the ADM several other parties are involved. Some major investors participate in specific sections of the road or a general goal.
The main investors are (in million dirham)Article on Made in Morocco site
BID - Islamic Bank for Development - 965 MDH FADES -Arab Fund for social and economic development - 920 FKDEA- Kuwait Fund for Arab and Economic Development - 450 BAD - African Bank for Development - 1315 JBIC- Japan Bank for International Cooperation - 1370
Overview Below is a short overview of the different sub-projects, the costsSource: Information for the press regarding Agadir-Marrakesh published by the ADM, downloaded 25 June 2010. (against the estimated costsInformation from ADM site on Marakech-Agadir project ) and the main contractors for that section. For some sections, only contractors for initial work are reported.
# from via to length real and (est cost)in M Dh contractors from1 Marrakesh – Marrakesh West Interchange 33 km 583 (783) El HajjiSrfianiThe Arab Contractors 2 Marr. West Interchg. - Chichaoua 51 km 810 (1060) Burhan 3 Chichaoua – Imintanoute 33 km 753 (975) SEPROBSNCE 4 Imintanout PK13 Argana 59 km 2125 (2644) TECNOVIACOVEC 5 Argana PK 20 Ameskroud 46 km 1754 (2132) DOGUS 6 Ameskroud - Agadir 11 km 287 (293) PlanumMostogradnja
Construction Work is divided into several main sections, each with their own contractors and workers. Construction of a 4-lane motorway through the mountains of the High Atlas requires many structures as fly-overs, viaducts and bridges. The existing national road (route nationale) is used for transportation of building material etc. Along this route, new exits and side roads are constructed to several main working locations and temporary factories (concrete, storage, camp-sites for builders, etc.).
The new road crosses the existing road several times and follows more or less the same route through the mountains.
Layout Over the full length the new autoroute has: two standard traffic lanes in each direction, each 3.5 meters wide with a central separation zone of at least 3 meters one emergency lane / hard shoulder in each direction of 1.5 meters wide
The road has 8 exits/entries, 9 toll-port gates and 4 rest stops with petrol stations, cafés and a room or building for praying. Thirteen viaducts and one tunnel were built to complete the road (excluding viaducts built over the road and/or tunnels under the road for crossing inferior local roads or feet-bridges: if you include these another 100 structures can be included.
Toll road As (nearly) all Moroccan expressways this new section is also a toll road.
The existing national road will remain open as a toll-free alternative for the autoroute as well as allowing access to smaller villages and roads. Traveling time between Marrakesh and Agadir will be reduced greatly as the autoroute allows overtaking everywhere (4 lane), bypasses villages and allows higher speeds. Possible speed on 2-lane national roads is often greatly reduced due to very slow lorries crawling up a hill while steep bends and traffic from the other side make overtaking hazardous or impossible.
The Marrakesh–Agadir section completes a north–south corridor of expressways that shortens the travel-distance on the route Tangier to Agadir by nearly 50 km (via toll-roads the distance is 776 and via the Route Nationale 824 km. But the biggest save is driving-time: the average travelling time Tangier–Agadir over national (free) roads is 14.5 hours while the same via the different toll-roads is under 7.5 hours
Route ExitDistanceDirectionRoads Junction between A3 and A1km 0 حد الســوالــمالجـديـدةHad SoualemEl Jadida A1 الـربــاططـنـجـةوجــدةRabatTangerOujda الـمـديـنـة الخـضـراءبــوسـكــورةVille VerteBouskouraP3011 بـوسـكـورةBouskouraP3013 مطـار محمد الـخامـس Airport Mohammed V P3038 Toll(Agadir - Casablanca direction) Nouaceur toll station Toll (Casablanca - Agadir direction)(Casablanca - Agadir direction)Berrechid toll station شمـال بــرشـيــدBerrechid NorthN12 Junction between A3 and A4 خـريـبــڭـة بــنـي مــلالKhouribgaBéni MellalA4 Junction between A3 andTit Mellil-Berrechid expressway(Agadir - Casablanca direction) Tit Mellil-Berrechidexpressway under construction جنوب بـرشـيــد خـريـبــڭـة بــنـي مــلالBerrechid SouthKhouribgaBéni MellalN12 Service areaBerrechid شمال سطاتSettat NorthP3606 وسط سطاتالبـــروجSettat CenterEl BoroujR308 Service areaSettat مــشــرع بن عــبــوMachraa Ben AbbouP3503 OuedOued Oum Rbia Service areaOum Rbia صخور الرحامنةSkhour RhamnaN9 Service areaBen Guerir ابـن جــريــرالــيــوسفـيـةقـلـعـة الـسـراغـنـةBen GuerirYoussoufiaEl Kelaa des SraghnaR206(Casablanca - Agadir direction) Rest areaSidi Bou Othmane (Agadir - Casablanca direction) Service areaSidi Bou Othmane Junction between A3 and A301 مــراكـش الـنخـيـلMarrakesh PalmeraieA301 مــراكـش تامنصورتآســـفـــيالـجـديــدةMarrakesh TamansourtSafiEl JadidaN7 Service areaMarrakesh مــراكـش تـارڭـة Marrakesh TargaP2006 مـراكـــــش الاودايةسـيدي الــزويــن Marrakesh LoudayaSidi ZouineN8km 279 Service areaChichaoua شــيــشـاوةالــصـويــرة عبر الطريق السريع ChichaouaEssaouira per toll-free expresswayN8 إيـمـنـتانـوتImintanouteN11 TunnelZaouiat Ait Mellal tunnel Service areaImintanoute أرڭـانـةArganaN11 P1713(Casablanca - Agadir direction) Service area Toll Amskroud toll station أمسـكــرود تـارودانــتAmskroudTaroudanntN11 R114A Service areaAmskroud Junction between A3 and N11AEnd of expressway أڭــاديــرAgadirN11A N1
Sources and footnotes