Kamel El-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Transport and Industry, announced on Friday the reopening of the Regional Ring Road to traffic starting Saturday morning.
The minister made the announcement following an inspection tour of ongoing development, upgrading, and maintenance work on the road.
The reopening affects vehicles traveling from the Cairo/Alexandria Agricultural Road, Shubra Benha, Benha/Mansoura, and Benha/Zagazig routes toward the Suez Desert Road.
This covers the section between the intersection with the Alexandria Agricultural Road and the intersection with the Suez Desert Road.
He noted the move comes in line with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s directives to ease traffic flow ahead of the new school year and follows the completion of the project’s first phase.
The minister clarified that the temporary closure remains in effect on the section from the Regional Ring Road’s intersection with the Alexandria Desert Road to its intersection with the Alexandria Agricultural Road.
The opposite direction, from the Suez Desert Road intersection to the Alexandria Desert Road, will remain open, allowing two-way traffic between the intersections with the Cairo/Suez Desert Road and Alexandria Agricultural Road.
Traffic between the Alexandria Agricultural Road and the Alexandria Desert Road will be one-way.
Wazir stressed that these measures aim to ensure public safety and accelerate project completion by providing safe alternative routes.
The inspection tour included senior officials such as Deputy Minister of Transport for Land Transport Magdy Abdel Hamid, Head of the General Authority for Roads, Bridges and Land Transport Tareq Abdel Gawad, Assistant Interior Minister for Traffic and Civil Protection Amr El-Baili, and executives from contracting firms.
During the tour, Wazir reviewed progress on converting the service road from asphalt to concrete pavement to better accommodate heavy truck traffic between the intersections with the Suez Desert Road and Belbeis Road.
He also inspected the upgrade of the main road’s pavement to concrete between Belbeis Road and the Alexandria Desert Road, aimed at enhancing road safety and durability.
Safety measures, including new Jersey barriers separating opposing traffic, closure of unauthorized access points from adjacent agricultural and residential areas, and improved signage and lighting in active work zones, were also reviewed.
In a concluding meeting with officials from the ministries of transport and interior and project contractors, Wazir confirmed the reopening of the road to facilitate traffic ahead of the new school year.
He stressed the importance of continued coordination with the Interior Ministry to carry out random inspections of truck and microbus drivers nationwide, in line with the government directives.
