Construction is now well underway for the new $257 million bridge that will connect the Tunisian city of Bizerte. The majority of the work is being carried out by Chinese company, Sichuan Road and Bridge Group (SRBG), which has a $206 million contract for the project.
The new bridge will link Zarzouna and Menzel Abderrahmane in Bizerte, spanning the Bizerete Canal. SRBG is building the 2.1km bridge, which will feature a steel deck and reinforced concrete construction, with 19 spans and providing 60m of clearance for vessels to pass underneath.
The project is for a 9km connection in total and is being built in three separate lots, with SRBG’s package being the 2.1km bridge. Construction of this new route will improve transport between the two sides of the city, on either side of the Bizerete Canal. The existing bridge is subject to intensive congestion, handling around 44,000 vehicles/day. Access to and from the port will also be improved for heavy vehicles, boosting transport and trade.
Meanwhile, work for the 7.5km connecting road is now 65% complete. Drilling for the foundations of the bridge located on land will commence shortly, with the offshore drilling portion following later in the year.
