Construction work is starting for a US$136 million bridge spanning the Oued Sakia El Hamra close to Laâyoune. Morocco’s Ministry of Equipment and Water says that the new bridge will improve transport to and from the city of Laâyoune.
The bridge will be over 1.6km in length and 21.4m in width and will span the Oued Sakia El Hamra wetlands, which lie near to Laâyoune. The new bridge will help transport and economic growth for the city.
With a population in excess of 271,000, Laâyoune is the largest of the cities in Western Sahara and is the capital of the Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra region, which is administered by Morocco. It has an international airport also but improved road transport will improve the connections to the rest of the region.
