On July 27, 2026, the African Development Bank officially announced the award results, and China Road and Bridge Corporation won all three sections of the first phase of the Gersif Nador Expressway in Morocco, with a total contract amount of 1.821872 trillion dirhams, approximately 182 million US dollars. Multiple domestic and foreign companies participated in the bidding, including Moroccan local construction group Mojazine and China Xinjiang Beixin Road and Bridge. In the end, China Road and Bridge won the entire bid with a competitive financial quotation. This is one of the largest highway projects in the eastern region of Morocco and another landmark breakthrough for Chinese infrastructure companies in the high-end North African market.

Three sections with a construction period of 30 months will be fully covered for the entire line

The three winning bid sections each have a construction period of 30 months, as follows: the first section is approximately 10.6 kilometers long, with a contract amount of 632.41 million dirhams; The second section is about 13.8 kilometers long, with a contract amount of 564.24 million dirhams; The third section is about 12 kilometers long, with a contract amount of 625.21 million dirhams. The total length of the three sections is 36.475 kilometers, with a total amount of 1.821872 trillion dirhams. Multiple domestic and foreign companies participated in the bidding, including Moroccan local construction group Mojazine and China Xinjiang Beixin Road and Bridge. With competitive financial quotations, China Road and Bridge won all three sections of the first phase, demonstrating its strong competitiveness in the North African infrastructure market.

A hundred kilometer strategic artery connects Xidi Zhonghai Port

The Gersif Nador Expressway project is planned to be approximately 104 kilometers long, extending from the inland city of Gersif in the eastern region of Morocco to Nador on the Mediterranean coast. It is jointly funded by the African Development Bank and the Moroccan government, with a total investment of approximately 700 million US dollars. The strategic value of the project far exceeds that of an ordinary road: on the one hand, it connects the Mediterranean port of Nador, which is a giant port project under construction in Morocco and is expected to change the economic landscape of the eastern region, positioning itself as a globally influential logistics platform along the Mediterranean coast; On the other hand, after completion, the project will significantly improve the connection between the Fez Oujda axis and the Saka region, shorten transportation time, reduce logistics costs, and promote the integration of the eastern region into the Moroccan national highway network. The Moroccan government expects that the expressway will create new industrial zones and investment hotspots along the route, promote trade, create employment, and enhance regional economic attractiveness. Keywords: the Belt and Road news network, infrastructure, highway

China Construction receives endorsement from international financial institutions

This winning bid has profound significance for China Road and Bridge Corporation. Firstly, it has consolidated the competitive advantage of China Road and Bridge in the Moroccan North African infrastructure market. China Road and Bridge Corporation is a core enterprise under China Communications Construction Corporation, with a special grade qualification for general contracting of highway engineering construction. This time, it has taken over three sections of the high-end highway market in Morocco, further consolidating its market position in the infrastructure field in North Africa. Secondly, move from breakthroughs in individual projects to deep regional cultivation. In February 2026, Du Fei, Chairman of China Road and Bridge Corporation, had high-level consultations with the Moroccan Mediterranean Port Group and the board of directors of Tangier Technology City. The landing of this major highway project shows that China Road and Bridge Corporation is moving from being a project to deeply cultivating a region in the Moroccan market. Thirdly, China Construction has been recognized by international financial institutions such as the African Development Bank. The fund for this project is provided by the African Development Bank, which is deeply involved in the bidding review process. The winning of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) not only means that the project strength has been recognized, but also means that the compliance ability and financial competitiveness of China's infrastructure enterprises have been endorsed by multilateral financial institutions, and the Belt and Road North Africa infrastructure cooperation has been upgraded.Editor/Gao Xue