Skip to main content

North African roads

Morocco has a rapidly expanding road network, which is benefiting from expertise offered by French contractor Colas. The quality of Morocco's roads is higher than in many other African countries, with much of this due to the use of the latest road construction technology by Colas. It previously took almost two days to go from Casablanca to Tan Tan in the south and this journey now takes less than eight hours. Colas has some 800 machines and vehicles in Morocco, with 70 graders, 70 wheeled loaders, 50 excava
February 8, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Morocco has a rapidly expanding road network, which is benefiting from expertise offered by French contractor 184 Colas. The quality of Morocco's roads is higher than in many other African countries, with much of this due to the use of the latest road construction technology by Colas.

It previously took almost two days to go from Casablanca to Tan Tan in the south and this journey now takes less than eight hours. Colas has some 800 machines and vehicles in Morocco, with 70 graders, 70 wheeled loaders, 50 excavators, 50 compactors, 30 bulldozers, six articulated haulers and a lot of smaller vehicles. 2394 Volvo supplies 30 of these larger machines, including G900 graders, L120F wheel loaders, excavators of 22-45tonnes and a dozen asphalt pavers including Volvo's latest ABG7820 paver. Colas has doubled its business in Morocco over the last five years, benefiting from increased government spending on its road network.

However, harsh conditions make building roads in desert conditions difficult. The heat affects the wearing course, but this can be solved using admixtures to the asphalt, however the occasional rainstorm breaks up the structure and can be heavy and destructive. Meanwhile traffic volumes have grown significantly and the country has had to develop its network significantly. With contracts to build 150km of highway near Morocco's border with Mauritania, a 40km road through the mountains near Casablanca and a host of other projects, Colas hopes to win more business in the future.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Asphalt paving innovations are being unveiled
    June 11, 2019
    Asphalt paving technology has moved forward another step
  • Road transport key to Africa's trade links
    February 17, 2012
    Road transport is the key to improving Africa's links within its own territory, and further afield as Patrick Smith reports. Development of road transportation is the key to the future of the African economy, and countries on the continent are making great strides. According to a report by a transport infrastructure expert at the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), within the next 15 years the value of trade in Africa could reach US$250 billion if a $32 billion investment is made to integrate
  • Caterpillar’s broad range for China
    November 21, 2018
    Caterpillar is offering a broad range of new machines in China. The company has an array of new general construction, road construction and SEM-branded equipment. The company has 11 hydraulic excavator models, featuring both wheeled and tracked undercarriages. These range from the 313D2, with a maximum operating weight of 14.6tonnes, to the 390F L with its maximum operating weight of 96.275tonnes. Seven of the excavators, the 330, 330 GC, 336, 336 GC, 345 GC, 320 and 323, are Cat Next Generation models,
  • Novel paving solution
    February 28, 2012
    Two Volvo ABG7820 slope pavers are being used to refurbish a 2,000,000m3 reservoir in Hieflau Styria, Austria. The machines are paving an extra high bitumen content asphalt that is watertight and have been modified to cope with the 34° embankments. The pavers were supplied by the Swiss dealer Robert Aebi and the modifications include tiltadjustable operating platforms to boost operator safety and comfort on the slope. The pavers are being operated by Walo Bertschinger, a Swiss company with a specialist dam