Workers make final preparations for traffic on the 84-km eastern section of the East-West Highway in El Tarf Province, Algeria, July 1, 2023. /Xinhua
A landmark Algerian highway built to connect 17 provinces has been completed, with China's CITIC Construction delivering the final 84-kilometer stretch on Saturday.
As the final leg of the ambitious East-West Highway project, the project stretches from Drean in the easternmost province of El Tarf to the town of Raml Souk bordering Tunisia.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held in El Tarf, Algerian Prime Minister Aymen Benabderrahmane hailed the highway's strategic significance in substantially facilitating people's travel, and promoting economic exchanges between Algeria and Tunisia.
Praising the "exceptional quality of work," he added that Algerian engineers and technicians gained valuable hands-on experience from building the highway.
During the ceremony, Deputy General Manager of CITIC Construction Algeria Qi Shujie said the Chinese engineers, facing challenges like high roadbed filling and landslides since the company took over the construction of the section in 2017, completed the project on time.
Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Benabderrahmane cuts the ribbon during the inauguration ceremony of the "84-km project" of the Algerian East-West Highway in El Tarf Province, Algeria, August 12, 2023. /Xinhua
Over the past 20 years, Chinese builders have paved about 700 kilometers of highways in Algeria, benefiting 30 million people in different regions of the country.
In addition to highways, Algerian landmarks such as the Algiers Grand Mosque, Algiers International Airport and the Algiers International Conference Center were all constructed by Chinese companies.
Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China's contributions go beyond infrastructure. During the construction of the East-West Highway, Chinese companies trained more than 16,000 Algerians to become skilled technicians.
A statement by CITIC Construction noted that the company also fulfilled social responsibilities by establishing a management institute and a national quality control center, and supporting community initiatives, including participation in social activities such as donations for needy families during the holy month of Ramadan, construction of forest firebreaks and flood relief.
(With input from Xinhua)
(Cover: The eastern section of the East-West Highway in El Tarf Province, Algeria, February 24, 2022. /Xinhua)