Dr. Assem El Gazar – the Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities visited the reciprocal axis of the road parallel to the Suez Canal. This was in the presence of Major General Mahmoud Nassar – Head of the Central Agency for Reconstruction, Eng. Mohsen Said – Head of Sinai Reconstruction Authority, Eng. Tarek Saqr – Board Member of the Arab Contractors Company which participated in the construction of the works, Eng. Mofida Allam – the Roads Consultant in the AC and Supervisor of the Laboratory Sector, Eng. Mohammed El Hosseiny – Member of the Executive Board of the AC, Eng. Mubarak Mansour – Head of Sector and Manager of Sinai Branch, Eng. Yasser Abdel Aal – Manager of Upper Egypt Roads Department and Eng. Sayed Farid – Deputy Manager of Sinai Branch which supervising the project. Dr. El Gazar declared that the pilot operation of the entire axis is undergoing, which was implemented by the Central Agency for Reconstruction which affiliated to the Ministry of housing represented by the Sinai Reconstruction Authority. The ongoing works includes the surface planning, traffic and signs. The extension of the axis is ongoing as well; it will be from Ismailia desert road to the intersection of Al Jalala Mountain road with Qatameya / Al Ain Al Soukhna road and reaching total length of 106 km; it will be implemented by the Armed Forces to form along Al Jalala mountain road and the Red Sea coastal road a longitudinal axis for the whole Republic. Dr. El Gazar added that 30 June axis is a free route of 95 km and width of 80m, with a cost of 5.2 billion EGP. It is considered the main axis of the movement for the development of the Suez Canal region. It started from South Port Said passing by the international coastal road Port Said/Damietta; it extends to the south till kilo 94 Cairo/Ismailia desert road. The axis has two directions (the South sector with 48km length and has 5 traffic lanes – the North sector with 47km length and has 5 traffic lanes), in addition to 2 service roads on both sides of the axis. The axis has 17 bridges (11 main bridges on the track – 6 vertical subways on the track), 16 horizontal tunnels for cars and pedestrian, 2 pedestrian tunnels, 2 toll stations, 6 services station, and 500 box culverts, crossings and furrows. There are 21 companies worked in the construction of the axis (14 companies for the road works – 7 companies for bridges works). The Minister pointed out that the implementation of the axis is one of the projects of the national roads network which aim to create new development axes, achieve a comprehensive development strategy, optimize the human, economic and natural resources, and attract investments and population to new promising development areas and the depletion of population density in the governorates with high population density. Besides, it helps to get out the narrow valley to the development of the rest governorates. Regarding the importance of 30 June Axis, the Housing Minister stated that it is the main transportation axis which serves the implementation of the development projects of Suez Canal Axis, accelerating the development rates on both sides of the Suez Canal Axis, developing and linking the Egyptian ports together (East and West Port Said – Damietta – Alexandria – Al Arish – Suez Gulf). The axis contributes to increasing the link between Sinai and Delta by connecting the axis with Suez Canal Tunnels, which contributes to accelerating the rates of development, raising the financial and economic capabilities of the surrounding areas and creating new development opportunities which contributes into increasing the Egyptian national income and providing job opportunities. In addition to these, it links between Egypt and Africa with the future link on Africa Axis. Major General Mahmoud Nassar – Head of the Central Agency for Reconstruction added that the pilot operation of the south sector of the axis started from Ismailia Desert Road to Salhiya was done in mid of May 2018. Currently, the pilot operation of the entire axis is undergoing which includes the north sector of the axis extending from Salhiya to South Port Said and most of it located in the areas of (fish farms- manure lands – El Manzala Lake). Therefore, the design of this sector includes the improvement of soil properties and reinforcing it to accommodate the loads and the expected traffic movement on the axis, in addition to the monitoring of the expected landing work after the completion of the bridge to the foundation layer, where the works was completed after stabilizing the landing, treatment of the foundation layer and resuming the implementation of the asphalt layer for the sector except 35km which will be operated on the asphalt linking layer to assure the complete stability for the landing and operating the traffic movement on the axis. It is a noteworthy that the Arab Contractors Company accomplished the dredging works, alternating the soil and the bridges with a width reached 80m inside El Manzala lake, constructing 3 foundation layers each one 45cm thickness and width varied from 55m to 77m, implementing a linking layer with 7cm thickness and a surface layer with 6cm thickness. The participating sides from the Arab Contractors Company are Sinai Branch, Upper Egypt Roads Department, Marine Structures Department with a total cost reached to 300 million EGP.