The Bouregreg Valley is expanding its facilities with the construction of a long corniche along the Salé bank of the river, in a development that in some respects resembles the waterfront area below Rabat’s famous Oudayas district.
The work does not stop there. The Bouregreg Valley Development Agency, established following a royal initiative, is also building a pedestrian bridge between the two banks. The new structure will add to the existing connections between the two neighboring cities.
The investments in the two infrastructures, the concrete-and-paving-stone corniche and the pedestrian bridge, are expected to amount to several tens of millions of dirhams in total. On site, Le360 found that work is progressing at a steady pace to allow the new facilities to be completed quickly.
Residents interviewed welcomed the construction of the two projects, which they said would bring “added value to the valley and to Salé.” The developments are also seen as a way to better integrate Salé’s riverbank into the urban and tourism activity of the Bouregreg Valley.
Le360 attempted to contact the municipality, without success, to respond to criticism from some residents regarding its record in the city.
With the new corniche and future pedestrian bridge, Salé’s riverbank is gaining new facilities that are expected to strengthen its appeal and bring the two banks of the Bouregreg closer together. The challenge now will be to support these infrastructures with urban management that meets residents’ expectations, so that these attractive projects do not become little more than pleasant backdrops for patient walkers.
