The Alternative Axis for the Aswan Reservoir. Photo: The Arab Contractors Company official website.
The ministry explained that the incident involved minor damage to the earthen body and posed no threat to the main structure. It described the viral media reports on social media as "completely false" and stressed that "the concrete structure of the Axis is entirely sound."
Media reports of the Axis collapsing went viral recently on social media.
The Alternative Axis for the Aswan Reservoir is a key infrastructure project that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated in October 2024 to reduce the distance between east and west Nile crossings to 25 kilometres.
The Axis links the Aswan–Baranees Road to the Western Desert Road (Cairo–Aswan), crossing the River Nile and connecting to the Western Agricultural Road (Cairo–Aswan), with further linkage to Aswan/Abu Simbel—supporting development projects and new urban communities.
The project spans 4.5 kilometres and is estimated to have cost EGP 1.957 billion. It includes major components such as a 2,050-metre Nile bridge, a tunnel, and extensive roadworks to boost connectivity and economic activity across the region.
In its statement, the ministry explained that the minor subsidence, less than one metre in diameter, was caused by a water leak from a supply line serving a Ministry of Irrigation facility beneath the road.
Therefore, the leak eroded the underlying soil, causing the asphalt layer at the end of the bridge ramp to sink.
Emergency response teams from the General Authority for Roads, Bridges, and Land Transport were immediately dispatched to the site to perform repairs and maintenance.
The ministry added that it is working closely with the Ministry of Irrigation to reroute the water supply line to prevent future leaks, read the statement.
It also urged media outlets to "verify the accuracy and credibility" of any transport-related news and advised the public to rely on official sources.
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