Casablanca-Rabat expressway
Encyclopedia
The Casablanca-Rabat expressway, designated A3, was the first expressway
to be built in Morocco
, with construction starting in the 1970s. It was only completed in 1986 after a 7 year halt.
It was originally free of charge, but a toll station was erected at Bouznika
in 1993 as part of a new strategy in Moroccan expressway construction. Traffic between Casablanca
and Mohammedia
west, as well as from Rabat
to Aïn Atiq travel free of charge.
The operator of the road, ADM
develops plans to widen the road to 2 X 3 lanes. Work is expected to start in 2009 and completed in 2011. Estimated costs for this 58 km long project are 800 Million Dirham.. Main reason for expansion is the expected traffic growth, which is calculated at 55-79% between 2010 and 2020, depending on the stretch of road
Toll revenues for the Casablanca-Rabat expressway are the highest in the country, generating 306 million dirhams
in 2007 (252 million in 2006), nearly a third of all toll-revenues in Morocco.
The route starts at the Aïn Harrouda
interchange, and then joins the A5 Casablanca bypass at the junction just before the west Mohammedia interchange. It continues past the east interchange serving Mohammedia before reaching the toll station at Bouznika. After passing Skhirat
and Aïn Atiq the road reaches Temara
on the outskirts of Rabat. Traffic going to Fes
and Tangier
then exit at Hay Riad to converge onto the non-expressway Rabat bypass. The motorway regulations end just before the entrance to the city at the Prince Moulay Abdellah sports complex.
Originally the motorway regulations also applied to the section west of Aïn Harrouda, through the Casablanca metropolitan area as far as Hay Hassani. These were removed in 1995 an 80 km/h speed limit
was imposed on this section.
Controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...
to be built in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, with construction starting in the 1970s. It was only completed in 1986 after a 7 year halt.
It was originally free of charge, but a toll station was erected at Bouznika
Bouznika
Bouznika is a town in the Chaouia-Ouardigha region of Morocco, with a population of 27,300. It is located 20.5 miles from Rabat and 25 miles from Casablanca. It is a popular area for surfing especially in winter, as there is a consistent surf.-External links:* http://www.bouznikacity.com*...
in 1993 as part of a new strategy in Moroccan expressway construction. Traffic between Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
and Mohammedia
Mohammedia
Mohammedia is a port city on the west coast of Morocco located between Casablanca and Rabat in the region of Greater Casablanca. It hosts the most important oil refinery of Morocco, Samir, which makes it the center of the Moroccan petrol...
west, as well as from Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
to Aïn Atiq travel free of charge.
The operator of the road, ADM
Société Nationale des Autoroutes du Maroc
The Société Nationale des Autoroutes du Maroc is the Morocco's national authority for the management of over 850 km of Moroccan expressways. ADM is based in Rabat....
develops plans to widen the road to 2 X 3 lanes. Work is expected to start in 2009 and completed in 2011. Estimated costs for this 58 km long project are 800 Million Dirham.. Main reason for expansion is the expected traffic growth, which is calculated at 55-79% between 2010 and 2020, depending on the stretch of road
Toll revenues for the Casablanca-Rabat expressway are the highest in the country, generating 306 million dirhams
Moroccan dirham
The dirham is the currency of Morocco. The plural form is pronounced darahim, although in French and English "dirhams" is commonly used. Its ISO 4217 code is "MAD". It is subdivided into 100 santimat . The dirham is issued by the Bank Al-Maghrib, the central bank of Morocco...
in 2007 (252 million in 2006), nearly a third of all toll-revenues in Morocco.
The route starts at the Aïn Harrouda
Aïn Harrouda
Aïn Harrouda is a city in Morocco, situated 17 km north of Casablanca. It has an important industrial zone. According to the 2004 census it had a population of 41,853 inhabitants...
interchange, and then joins the A5 Casablanca bypass at the junction just before the west Mohammedia interchange. It continues past the east interchange serving Mohammedia before reaching the toll station at Bouznika. After passing Skhirat
Skhirat
Skhirat is a city in the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer Region of Morocco. Known within Morocco for its beautiful beaches it has recently begun developing and property and land prices have increased greatly....
and Aïn Atiq the road reaches Temara
Temara
Temara is a coastal city in Morocco. It is part of the Wilaya Rabat -Salé, and is located directly south of Rabat on the Atlantic coast, in the suburban area of the capital. The city has 250,000 inhabitants as of 2010. It is twinned with Saint Germain en Laye, France...
on the outskirts of Rabat. Traffic going to Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
and Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
then exit at Hay Riad to converge onto the non-expressway Rabat bypass. The motorway regulations end just before the entrance to the city at the Prince Moulay Abdellah sports complex.
Originally the motorway regulations also applied to the section west of Aïn Harrouda, through the Casablanca metropolitan area as far as Hay Hassani. These were removed in 1995 an 80 km/h speed limit
Speed limit
Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...
was imposed on this section.