‘No Trees Will Be Cut’: Egypt’s Ministry of Transportation on Maadi Road Project

The Ministry of Transportation released a statement on Friday 16 July 2021 regarding the current uproar on social media about the ‘Gazaer Axis’ (Algeria Axis) project in Maadi.

The Ministry stated that the aim of this project is to solve the traffic congestion in some areas along the Abbaseya-Torra railway line.

“The targeted areas of this project are densely-populated areas which are trespassing on the route of the railway, which puts the lives of citizens at risk,” stated the Ministry of Transportation.

The statement also highlighted that the road project is still under study. However, the preliminary phase necessitates removing tackling trespassers and illegally occupied land in the areas from Abasseya to the intersection between the ‘Hadarat’ bridge and Autostrad road, and from the area of ‘Tebben’ to Helwan, and lastly an axis between the ‘Hadarat’ axis to the ‘El Nawadi El Gedeed’ (New Clubs) street in Maadi.

The Ministry assured citizens that there will be no tree cuttings in the area of El Nawadi El Gedeed Street and Torra bridge in Maadi. However, some of the flower and plant vendors will be reallocated to other areas in order to make room for the project.

The statement added that the planning of this project takes into consideration the properties in the area surrounding the project.

The ‘El Gazaer’ axis project has caused a widespread uproar on social media using the hashtag of “المعادى_ترفض_المحور#” (Maadi Refuses the Axis) since it was announced. The main reason behind the residents’ refusal of the project is its threat to the historic trees in Maadi and the urban fabric of the area.