Morocco's network of motorways is administered by the state-owned company Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM). It runs the network on a pay-per-use basis, with toll stations placed along its length. The general speed limit is 120 km/h.
History The first expressway in the country was the A1 Casablanca-Rabat. Construction of the first section started in 1975. Completion of this road between the economic and the administrative capitals took 13 years. Originally, use of the road was free of charge. The toll-road system was introduced as one measure to prevent lengthy construction times, as happened with this first road. Finding investors for new roads would be easier if these roads generated their own revenue to repay investors.
Realized In 2006, it was announced that ADM would be investing 6.18 billion dirhams ($859 million) to develop its highway network in 2007. These investment packages were part of the objective that aimed to complete 1,500 km by 2012.
As of August 2016, ADM managed 1808 kmMoroccan infrastructures of Morocco's toll roads.Overview main development figures on ADM site, visited september 2010. As of November 2016 the total length of Morocco's motorways is 1,808 kilometres (paid) and 1,093 kilometres (free) expressways.
Planned The Kingdom of Morocco is planning investments of around €23 billion in road construction until 2035. The Moroccan government has announced that more than 5,500 kilometres of new highways and expressways are to be constructed, this will be an investment totalling €8.8 billion. This includes 700 km of 3x2 roads that will be constructed.
Also 45,000 km of new rural roads will be created in rural areas and the modernization of 7,000 km of rural roads. It is part of new plan of the Moroccan Ministry of Transport, which will invest 660 billion dirhams in the transport and logistics sector.
Ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, Morocco is taking on a €650 million loan from the African Development Bank to improve the infrastructure of the country to develop air, road and rail connections throughout the country. As of spring 2025, there are 2,177 km of roads in the country. And of the new projects to be built in time for the World Cup, the government unveiled a plan to invest MAD 12.5 billion ($1.25 billion) into its roads infrastructure, a development that already invests MAD 3 billion ($300 million) annually to maintain the roads.
List of motorways +Principal motorwaysRefFromToViaLengthNotesA1RabatSafiMohammedia, Casablanca, El Jadida313 kmA2RabatOujdaKhemisset, Meknes, Fes, Taza, Guercif, Taourirt494 kmA3CasablancaAgadirBerrechid, Settat, Ben Guerir, Marrakesh, Imintanoute429 kmA31Tit MellilBerrechidMediouna, Deroua, A4/A3 Interchange31 kmA4BerrechidBeni MellalKhouribga174 kmA5Port Tanger MedRabatKenitra, Salé308 kmA7FnideqTétouanM'diq, Marina Smir28 kmA?GuercifNadorUnder construction as of late 2025A?RabatCasablancaA second motorway under construction between Rabat and Casablanca to alleviate traffic and pressure +BypassesRefNameLengthNotesA101Ain Harrouda Bypass24 kmA102Azbane Bypass1.5 kmA103El Jadida Bypass5.5 kmA201Fes Bypass11 kmA301Marrakech Palmeraie Bypass13.5 kmA501Tangier West Bypass1.5 km
Under construction +Motorways under constructionRefFromToViaLengthNotesGuercifNadorRabatCasablanca
The construction history of these expressways by segment is as follows:Data obtained from key dates development program on ADM site as of 4 August 2008 + Moroccan Expresswaysfromtolengthin kmconstructionperiodavg costsMDH/kmnotes Casablanca Rabat 62 forming the A3 motorway using: Casablanca Oued Cherrat 33,5 1975–1978 and: Oued Cherrat Rabat 25.5 1983–1987 Rabat Larache 150 13 using: Rabat Kénitra 40 1993–1995 and: Kénitra Larache 110 1993–1996 Larache Sidi El yamani 28 1996–1999 Sidi El yamani Asilah 15 2000–2002 Asilah Tanger 30 2002–2005 together forming the A1 Rabat-Tangier expressway Rabat Fès 167 14.4 using Rabat Khemiset 66 1996–1999 and Fes Khemiset 116 1995–1998 Casablanca Settat 57 1998–2001 17.5 Casablanca bypass 27 2000–2004 25 built in two phases Casablanca Safi 255.5 using Casablanca Had Soualem 16 2001–2004 18 and Had Soualem Tnine Chtouka 35 2002–2005 20 and Tnine Chtouka El Jadida 28 2004–2006 26 and El Jadida Safi 143 2012–2016 30 Settat Marrakesh 162 2004–2007 Tanger-Med connector 54 2004–2008 73 Tétouan Fnideq 28 2004–2008 36 last 11 km opened 21-07-08
Road safety In 2007 762 crashes with casualties were reported, a 5% increase on 2006. The crash-rate per 100 million traveled kilometers dropped by 20% from 30.2 to 24.1 between these years, but the total number as well as rate of deaths didn't go down.
A breakdown of these figures:Official safety figures as reported by ADM, visited 3 August 2008
+ Moroccan Expressways SafetyType crash20062007% changenotesserious crashes726762 +5%is crash with serious inj. or deaths rate per 100 mln km.30,224.1 -20% fatal crashes7486 +16% is crash with at least one deathrate per 100 mln km.3,12,7 -12% serious injuries480535 +11% is per 100 mln km.20,016,9 -15%deaths90127 +41%is per 100 mln km.3,74,0 +7%
Increasing road-safety Increasing safety is an important goal for the ADM: the new autoroutes are designed to improve safety and the ADM also believes that extending the express-way network will increase overall safety as the through-going (and often high-speed) traffic is moved away from the Route Nationals, that run through the cities and villages along the way. Expressways also use non-level crossings and because there is no oncoming traffic overtaking cars is safer than on normal roads. The ADM also publishes traffic violence figures to increase the attention of the public in road-safety.ADM Website Detailed report on road-safety on expressways , PDF (French), retrieved 27 June 2011
In the first quarter of 2011 the number of crashes on expressways with injuries fell 21% compared to the same period in 2010Newsarticle on ADM website 21% decrease in traffic accidents on motorways in Q1 2011 , visited 27 June 2011
See also List of toll roads Société Nationale des Autoroutes du Maroc
References and notes
External links