Getting to Mohammed V International Airport should become easier as work gets underway to improve one of the main roads and rail routes serving the airport. The National Railways Office (ONCF) has launched a 180m dirham ($18m) tender to redevelop Regional Road 3038 and the Oued Bouskoura area near Casablanca.
The project will include bridges and other structures for both high-speed and conventional trains. Seven hydraulic structures will also be built to help control water flows and reduce the risk of flooding.
Regional Road 3038 will be widened from two to three lanes in each direction. A new roundabout will also be built to improve traffic flow towards the airport.
Companies bidding for the project must provide a provisional guarantee of 2.7m dirhams.
The work is part of a wider 20bn-dirham plan to improve transport across the Casablanca region.
The plan includes a 92km regional express rail network with three lines and 18 stations. More than 180,000 passengers are expected to use the network each day by 2030.
Trains are expected to run every 15 minutes during peak hours on the main routes.
The network will connect Casablanca with Mohammedia, Zenata, Bouskoura and Nouaceur. It will also provide links to Mohammed V International Airport and the planned Hassan II Grand Stadium in Benslimane.
The stadium is being developed as part of preparations for major international sporting events, including the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
ONCF is also expanding the high-speed rail network.
A new 430km high-speed line between Kenitra, Casablanca and Marrakesh is expected to cost 53bn dirhams. Trains will be designed to reach speeds of up to 350km/h, with commercial services running at up to 320km/h.
The line is expected to cut travel times significantly. A journey from Rabat to Mohammed V airport could take about 35 minutes, while the trip from Tangier to Marrakesh could take about two hours and 40 minutes.
ONCF recently awarded two contracts worth 470.72m dirhams to construction group GIDNA for nine new stations on the Casablanca regional network.
The stations include Casa Oasis, Aïn Sebaâ, Sidi Maârouf and Nouaceur Nouvelle Ville.
The wider rail programme aims to increase rail coverage from 51% of the population to 87% by 2040.
