Al Wazir, accompanied by Major General Maged Abdel Hamid, Deputy Minister of Transport for Land Transport, Dr. Abdel Rahman El Baz, Assistant Minister of Transport for Project Follow-up and Technical Support, and Major General Tarek Abdel Gawad, Head of the General Authority for Roads and Bridges, checked on preparations to receive visitors.
The Minister followed up on the completion of the Ring
Road's visual identity development, which included painting buildings on both
sides in harmonious colors, increasing directional signage, and adding distinct
elements such as plants, trees, lighting, and display screens distributed to
reflect Egyptian civilization. This design also links the BRT (Bus Rapid
Transit) stations and microbus stops to this unique identity, befitting the
global event of the GEM's inauguration.
Readiness work on the Ring Road also included comprehensive
maintenance and efficiency upgrades, particularly the section from Cairo
Airport, passing through New Cairo, Maadi, the Fayoum Road intersection, and
reaching the GEM station. This involved upgrading and maintaining defective
asphalt layers, correcting elevations, comprehensive maintenance of the
Mariouteya axis, and painting and maintaining all concrete barriers, handrails,
and sidewalks in all sectors. Lane marking and the maintenance and upgrade of
lighting poles were also completed.
The authority also accelerated the construction rates of the
second phase of the BRT quick commuter bus stations, spanning 57 km from
El-Mosheer Tantawy station to the Fayoum intersection, with 21 stations out of
a total of 48 stations for the entire three-phase project.
The external facades of the second-phase stations were
confirmed complete, especially those surrounding the museum, along with the
finishing of the asphalt and concrete paving within their scope. The second
phase includes three stations on the Mariouteya axis (Al-Haram, King Faisal,
Tarsa) and the Grand Egyptian Museum station (Alexandria Desert Road).
During the tour, the integration between the project's
stations and the parking lots located beneath the Ring Road, serving arrivals
and departures, was reviewed. This included how passengers would reach the
stations from these parking lots, either via pedestrian bridges or tunnels, to
board the BRT bus, in addition to reviewing waiting areas within the stations,
ticketing methods, and passing through the electronic gates.
Minister Al-Wazir also inspected the final external finishes
of the metro's fourth line stations in the area surrounding the GEM, the Grand
Museum, Shooting Club (Al-Remaya), and Pyramids stations, along with the 100%
completion of restoration work in the museum's immediate vicinity.
The Minister was also briefed on the implementation rates of the first phase of the fourth metro line, which spans 19 km with 17 stations (16 underground, 1 surface), reaching a total completion rate of 48%. Construction work is currently underway at the stations, and tunnel excavation for the two metro tunnels (one tunnel for each direction) is being carried out by four Tunnel Boring Machines (two for each direction), which has been 65% completed.