This photo shows the construction site of the new Bizerte bridge project in Bizerte, Tunisia, Dec. 20, 2024.(Xinhua/Huang Ling)
Along the southern bank of Bizerte Canal, which divides the Tunisian city of Bizerte into two parts, a towering crane was busy unloading containers. Nearby, site cabins have been installed in preparation for the construction of a new bridge across the canal.
The new Bizerte bridge project started in March after the Tunisian Ministry of Equipment and Housing signed a contract with China's Sichuan Road and Bridge Group (SRBG).
Marking the second one across the canal and the largest in Tunisia after completion, this new bridge under construction has brought hope to local residents who have been troubled by the inconvenience of daily commute.
"We have been suffering from traffic jams between the canal's two banks for years, but now the new bridge brings us hope," Mohamed Haffoudhi, a young graduate who works in Bizerte, told Xinhua.
The current bascule bridge across the canal was built in 1980. It is closed to road traffic regularly every day, as it has to lift the bridge deck for ships to pass through.
During peak hours or tourism season, vehicles to cross the bridge have to line up in long queues. In order to save time, many locals have to detour 60 km to reach the other side of the canal. They have been eagerly looking forward to a new bridge to alleviate their daily traffic difficulties.
Witnessing the progress of the project feels like "seeing a plant growing out of the ground," Haffoudhi said, adding, "People are happy when seeing it 'grow,'" and are impressed by "Chinese engineers' professionalism and meticulousness."
"This is an important project for the Tunisian people, and a testament to the friendship between Tunisia and China," Mohamed-Wassim Jaouani, a Tunisian engineer with the SRBG, told Xinhua.
Jaouani said the new bridge will not only improve local traffic condition, but integrate the entire northern Tunisia into the national highway system, further optimizing road efficiency.
With more than 20 workers from China and over 80 others from Tunisia, the construction has been progressing as scheduled over the past nine months despite the scorching summer and the current wet winter, said Yu Yeqiang, project general manager from the SRBG.
So far, both sides of Bizerte Canal are being leveled, and four teams have been dispatched to conduct geological surveys, erect fence walls, build workers' cabins, and harden the road, Yu said.
"We keep in contact with the Tunisian side regarding the project. They are satisfied with the current progress," Yu said.
According to Yu, the project has adopted some cutting-edge techniques, including the casting of bridge pile foundations with a diameter of 2.5 meters and the construction of a steel truss bridge with a main span of 292.5 meters.
The SRBG is confident in completing the construction of the bridge in three years, Yu said, noting the project will not only introduce advanced bridge-building technologies to the North African country but also contribute to forging closer bonds between the peoples of the two countries.
This photo shows the construction site of the new Bizerte bridge project in Bizerte, Tunisia, Dec. 20, 2024.(Xinhua/Huang Ling)
This photo shows the construction site of the new Bizerte bridge project in Bizerte, Tunisia, Dec. 20, 2024.(Xinhua/Huang Ling)
