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The opening of this last section of the East-West highway, which passes through the communes of Drean, Bebes, Sidi Kaci, Zerizer of Ain El Assel and of El Tarf, and crosses the area of Khenguet Aoun, has given a boost to the economic activity in these regions of the country’s far east and stimulating development.

The acting director of public works of El Tarf province Fateh Bouali underlined in a statement to APS, “the importance of opening this section which crosses six communes, as it makes pay the East-West highway in its eastern part and facilitates the economic exchanges between Algeria and Tunisia.

He pointed out that the security of the road users is ensured thanks to the quality of works on this 84-km section, meeting the populations’ needs, breaking the solation of several villages of the region and improving the living conditions of the inhabitants of communes located on the borders.   

Bouali said also that the section of the East-West highway crossing the province of El Tarf, carried out by foreign companies with the contribution of numerous Algerian experts, comprises 57 road structures and four big interchanges in Drean, El Tarf, Boutheldja and Ain El Assel.

The aforementioned slip roads, he added, will significantly contribute to linking these communes to East-West highway and will also enable easing the burden on the trunk roads 44 and 84-A (El Tarf-Annaba-Tunisian border), especially in summer.

Bouali said that the East-West highway has also helped the inhabitants of the western and south-western communed of El Tarf, wishing to go to the county town of the province, avoid passing through the urban areas situated along the trunk road 84 and escape the traffic jams in the west part, notably after the distribution of thousands of housing units and the increase in population density.  

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