Crossing the Suez Canal: Tunnels for Ismaïlia
The new Suez Canal was opened just 1 year later, but that isn’t the end of the project. An additional 76,000 km² on either side of the canal are to be developed for industrial and technology estates, which will be supported by crossings under the canal to transform the region around the Suez Canal into a world-class economic zone.
The Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt commissioned CDM Smith with design review and approval and construction supervision for the tunnels in Ismailia, including a factory for the precast segmental lining. Two road tunnels with two lanes each connecting Ismailia with the new eastern trade area in Sinai are to be constructed at a depth of 60 m.
Together with our local partner, ACE, we help ensure a safe, high-quality and fast connection from North Africa to Asia via the Sinai Peninsula to last a century.
We provided tunnel planning, design and supervision, as well as applying our extensive experience in tunnelling equipment machines and open tunnelling, during this mega-project's 7-year construction period and first two years of operation.
It takes shared commitment and teamwork to achieve a successful outcome in a large project.
Did you know?
For 4 cross passages (5m diameter each) between the two road tunnels, soil samples were tested from +20 to -20 °C at our frost laboratory. The results were used for the design parameters for temporary ground freezing in the salt-rich local clay and sand layers.