Morocco plans to build a new road and tunnel link linking Marrakech and Ouarzazate. The project will also include the construction of roads and bridges.

The Mohammed VI Investment Fund was established in 2020 with an initial capital of $1.45 billion to lead the country's COVID-19 recovery. The core mission of the fund is to provide long-term financing for local enterprises and strategic infrastructure projects in the form of equity or quasi-equity. It focuses lending on high-potential SMEs, facilitates financing for commercially sustainable infrastructure projects, such as the proposed Tichka Tunnel, and develops strategic sectors that contribute to economic recovery.

Building the Tichka Tunnel, commonly known as the Marrakech-Ouarzazate Tunnel, has been under consideration since around 1945 but would be challenging given the isolation and geology of the area. Tizi n'Tichka is a mountain pass that connects southeast Marrakech with the city of Ouarzazate through the High Atlas Mountains. It is located on the great plain of Marrakech, the gateway to the Sahara desert. Keywords: overseas news, engineering news

French geotechnical specialist Terrasol, which carried out geological surveys of the alternative route between 2004 and 2008, said there were two options. Option A is a shorter, gently sloped tunnel, while Option B has a much better geological background and allows for a moderately sloped tunnel.Editor/XingWentao