Dynapac fleet for Algeria Expressway

On winning contracts for the central and western sections of Algeria’s 1216 km East-West Expressway, the CITIC Group and China Railway Corporation (CRCC) consortium (CITIC-CRCC) turned to Dynapac to provide a fleet of 53 tandem rollers and track pavers.

CITIC-CRCC were awarded the contract for the central and western sections of the highway (169 km and 359 km respectively) at a cost of $451 million. To meet its tight schedule, punishing working conditions and remote locations, the contracting consortium (CITIC-CRCC) turned to Dynapac for its productivity and reliability.

The Dynapac fleet comprises 20 x F141C pavers, 1 x F182CS paver, 18 x CC624HF’s and 14 x CC622HF tandem rollers. The fleet is being used to pave and compact the base course, binder course and wearing course; almost the complete process of work.

Customers are very satisfied with the performance of the Dynapac fleet. Most machines are working 24 hours every day to meet the tight schedule.

“They have virtually no downtime except the regular maintenance,” said the Project Manager, continuing, “The rollers and pavers are working very well. I can not imagine what it would have been like if we had not chosen Dynapac.”

On-site training
Two Dynapac on-site servicemen for the duration of the Algerian project are also holding a number of basic training courses for the consortium’s locally hired workers.

Most of the local workers do not have any experience of operating machines. With the combination of the custom made training and the user-friendliness of the Dynapac equipment, the end result is always perfect, whether the operator starts out as a ‘greenhorn’ or as a skilled worker.

Work should be completed by the end of the year. At a total cost of $7 billion, the highway, which will have a total length of 1216 km, will be financed entirely by the government.

The project was given the go-ahead because of oil revenues which generated the ambitious $60 billion overall national economic development programme.

The East-West Expressway project will also have a significant socio-economic impact by creating more than 100,000 jobs for people working in complementary services along the length of the highway.

For example, toll collection will be introduced for the first time in Algeria. Many prefectures, as well as ports and airports, will be linked by the highway. The cross-country road project can be characterised as a catalyst to help accelerate economic development in Algeria.

Minister for Public Works, Amar Ghoul, described the highway project as the largest in the Mediterranean and Africa and one of the world’s largest road projects. “It is part of a plan to build a 7,000 km Maghreb highway, he added.