Cairo: The Egyptian Ministry of Transport has allocated about LE 1.2 billion of funds to construct new roads and bridges in 2007. Tarek Al-Attar, chairman of the General Authority for Roads and Bridges, said the authority has allocated LE 586 million of the government funds to construct 735 kilometers of roads and eleven bridges that would cost about LE 654.8 million. He pointed out that his authority was undertaking extensive research on priorities for road construction as a prelude to launching bids for contractors. Al-Attar added that the Ministry of Transport has developed an integrated plan to maintain and rehabilitate roads in line with international standards. The government will also develop new maintenance contracts with contractors that will conform to international criteria. Land transport accounts for 95 percent of total transportation of goods in Egypt, and 60 percent of passenger movement compared with river and railway transport. Magdy Al-Dahhan, a senior official at the Ministry of Transport, said the ministry was investigating offers from international and Arab investors to build a private sector road network in Egypt with international quality standards. Al-Dahhan added that the government has developed general blueprints on the private road network that could be later offered to private investors under the BOT or PPP arrangements.
