STORY: Chinese-built bridge to promote well-being of Tunisians
SHOOTING TIME: Aug. 25, 2024
DATELINE: Aug. 27, 2024
LENGTH: 00:00:32
LOCATION: Tunis
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the bascule bridge over the Bizerte canal
2. various of construction site
3. various of staff of Chinese company checking geological exploration samples
4. various of the canal

STORYLINE:

Bizerte, a Tunisian city situated by the Mediterranean Sea, is famous for attracting many tourists each summer to its long and flat beach. However, the local people will remind tourists that a bridge may "affect your mood."

The bridge across the Bizerte Canal divides the Bizerte city into two parts. Built in 1980, the bascule bridge has to close itself to road traffic regularly every day, as it has to lift the bridge deck to provide clearance for ships sailing on the canal.

During the peak tourism season, drivers line up in long queues to cross the bridge. To save time, many locals take a 60 km detour to reach the other side of the canal. Locals have been eagerly looking forward to a new bridge to alleviate their daily traffic difficulties.

The long-held dream finally came true in March, when China's Sichuan Road and Bridge Group (SRBG) signed a contract with the Tunisian Ministry of Equipment and Housing for the construction of a new bridge in Bizerte.

The residents of Bizerte will see a new bridge in 38 months, Minister of Equipment and Housing Sarra Zaafrani Zanzri told Xinhua after the signing ceremony. Zanzri noted that his ministry chose the Chinese company in light of its excellent technology and experience of building many large bridges in such countries as Norway, Türkiye and Egypt.

Now, the new bridge in Bizerte is under construction as scheduled. Chen Junfeng, the deputy general manager of SRBG's Tunisian company, told Xinhua that the new bridge is designed to be 56 meters high and have a span of nearly 300 meters.

Chen said that SRBG is confident that the bridge will contribute a lot to the wellbeing of the Tunisian people.

The new bridge will be the largest in Tunisia, and its height will allow ships to pass through the canal easily and without frequent lifting of the deck.

SRBG employees have been warmly welcomed by the local people, who served the Chinese engineers with fruits and desserts as they inspected the terrain around the project area. Chen said that locals gave Chinese employees the thumbs-up as they walked on the street in yellow construction vests.

Hermann Rosario Sakponou, an engineer from Benin, has been working on the new Bizerte bridge project since half a year ago.

Sakponou is very proud to participate in the project and has expressed confidence that the Chinese technology and construction quality can make the bridge a landmark in Tunisia and in North Africa as a whole.

Sakponou, who once studied at China's Southwest Jiaotong University, said that he is happy to apply the engineering knowledge he learned in China to infrastructure construction in Africa.

In Tunisia's August heat, with outdoor temperatures reaching over 40 degrees Celsius, 55-year-old Tunisian civil structural engineer Chokri Maatoug worked together with young Chinese engineers to examine and analyze soil structures every day.

Maatoug said that he understood how important the new bridge is for Tunisians, so he is happy to work on the project no matter how difficult it proves. He also expressed confidence that Chinese companies' rich experience in large infrastructure projects will ensure the smooth progress of the project.

"What impressed me even more was the dedication shown by Chinese employees and the pride they showed in being a global leader in the engineering industry," he added.

Maatoug noted the beauty of the bridge design and predicted that the structure would become a famous tourist attraction, in addition to easing traffic pressure in the area.

Laamar, a cafe owner in Bizerte, said that locals have been talking since 2013 of a plan to build a new bridge. Now, the locals feel relieved to see the Chinese company beginning construction on the project.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Tunis.
(XHTV)