'Bridge on a beach' sparks outrage in Egypt

A photo circulating on the social media of the bridge, the path of criticism.

The project to develop a vital area in the Egyptian city of Alexandria has become the subject of criticism for the Egyptian government due to concerns that the project will change the features of the area and “cancel the existence of an old beach” that has long been a destination for many vacationers.

The project came on the heels of controversy over another project on the North Coast Road that drew similar criticism.

The concerned authorities are currently implementing a project to construct the "Sadat Bridge", in addition to a tunnel and other bridges in the Montazah area, east of Alexandria, with the aim of reducing traffic, according to officials.

The head of the North Coast Reconstruction Authority, Engineer Mukhtar Hussein, said that the project includes implementing a tunnel from Street 45 to the Corniche, heading left for those heading from Street 45 to the city center, constructing a bridge heading from Mandara area for those heading to Street 45 and the international road, and implementing a tourist walkway in front of Street 45 on the corniche.

The authorities say that the project will solve the traffic congestion problem that has plagued the eastern Alexandria governorate for many years.

Major General Mohamed Al-Sharif, Governor of Alexandria, recently followed up the project completion rates and the start of the implementation phase of the traffic movement after the construction of a temporary road on the beach to the Corniche Road in preparation for removing the temporary road and completing the project.

Mohamed Al-Hamami, a member of the House of Representatives from the Montazah Department, confirmed that the project is part of the giant projects in Alexandria, which have received a great deal of interest from the Egyptian state, led by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

He said that it would solve a traffic crisis that the residents of Alexandria had long suffered from, especially in the summer, given that Street 45 is a pivotal street that connects the agricultural road to the desert road as well as to the city's corniche.

But a large number of residents accused the authorities of "encroaching" the coast of Alexandria and "destroying" parts of its coast.

Some pages on the social networking site circulated pictures of the bridge that was erected over the "Beau Rivage Beach", and a large number of people expressed dissatisfaction with it.

Surprisingly, one of the commentators wrote: "Building a bridge over a beach. It happened in the Bride of the Mediterranean. On the Beau Rivage."

Another wrote: "How can a bridge be built on the Sea Corniche and an entire beach be filled in?"

Another asked: "Why are they destroying the park with its history, heritage and beauty?"

For his part, the head of the North Coast Reconstruction Authority said in televised statements: "We must say that the idea of ​​the bridge "is not random, but has been subjected to specialized and meticulous studies, as a committee of experts in various disciplines was formed, and the necessary traffic, survey and engineering studies were carried out."

He pointed out that the architectural design of the project will be in the same style as the "Stanley Bridge design", which is another area in Alexandria.

This controversy comes after the controversy that arose about another project to develop the northern coastal road, including the construction of bridges, which some said cause traffic jams, as well as the difficulty of understanding traffic instructions.

Many expressed their dissatisfaction with the hashtag #North Coast_Road, which generated thousands of interactions.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news