Client

National Authority for Tunnels (NAT)

Sector

Tunnels

Location

Cairo, Egypt

Al-Azhar Tunnel

Project Overview:

This project was undertaken to revitalize the Fatimid Cairo area and enhance its status as a premier tourist destination. Recognizing the area’s historical significance in Islamic Egypt, the project aimed to alleviate surface traffic congestion by transferring vehicular traffic underground, freeing Al-Azhar Street and its surroundings for pedestrian and tourist use, allowing them to better appreciate the area’s remarkable Islamic monuments.

Due to the project’s sensitive nature, meticulous attention was paid to the study and design phases. Safety and security were paramount, both for neighboring and overlying buildings, as well as for tunnel users. The project adhered to the latest international technical and environmental specifications during implementation. In fact, the safety measures implemented in this project exceeded those typically found in similar tunnel projects in Europe.

Construction began in May 1998, and the tunnels were opened for operation in October 2001.

Key Components:

The project includes two adjacent tunnels, each 2.65 km long, designed to divert traffic from Salah Salem Road (east of Cairo) to Opera Square in the city center. Each tunnel is dedicated to one-way traffic and consists of two traffic lanes. Additional components include:

  • Ventilation stations
  • Water drainage stations
  • A central control building for operational management
  • Emergency elevators
  • A backup power station for automatic operation during power outages

Implementing the circular tunnels using a deep drilling machine presented significant challenges. The machine operated at depths ranging from 20 to 35 meters below the ground surface, including a critical passage beneath Cairo’s main sewage tunnel. Special technical measures were implemented to ensure a safe passage. Furthermore, the machine operated with extreme caution beneath numerous historic, archaeological, and Islamic buildings located along the tunnel route.

ECPC’s Scope of Work:

As the first and only producer of tunnel segments in Egypt at the time, ECPC supplied the 5,250 meters of segments required for both tunnels. This totaled 28,000 precast segments (3,500 rings with a diameter of 8,500mm).