Marrakech–Drâa-Tafilalet: Where is the Ourika tunnel project?
The Ourika tunnel project is raising great hopes for the opening up of southeastern Morocco. Several residents and professionals are awaiting answers on the delays in this strategic project. On site, Deputy Hussein Ouallal has questioned the government to clarify the status of the technical and financial studies.
Hussein Ouallal, a member of the National Rally of Independents (RNI), has sent a written question to Minister Nizar Baraka to emphasize the importance of this infrastructure connecting Marrakech to the Drâa-Tafilalet region. For the elected official, it is a "project of life, development and territorial justice" that must make it possible to break the isolation that the southeast has suffered for several decades. The tunnel is expected to be an economic driver capable of boosting tourism and agriculture by reducing travel times and transportation costs.
The urgency of this file has been highlighted by the recent snowfall at the Tizi n’Tichka pass, which has paralyzed traffic on National Road No. 9. On Tuesday evening, many travelers, including families and children, were blocked for long hours in intense cold. This recurring scenario fuels a sense of discontent among citizens who see this tunnel as the only fundamental solution to ensure a permanent and secure connection, even in the event of weather disturbances.
The deputy now asks the Ministry of Equipment and Water to specify the planned deadlines for the start of the work and the constraints that are blocking the project. Although the snow removal services and the Royal Gendarmerie regularly intervene to clear the roads, the local actors consider that these measures remain insufficient. The Ourika tunnel now represents a national issue to ensure a balanced territorial connection and protect the dignity of the populations of the mountainous areas, he concludes.
