At the end of his expanded tour in the governorates of Port Said and Damietta, Dr. Moustafa Madbouly - Prime Minister, witnessed the opening of the “Historic Damietta Bridge” in Damietta, accompanied by Dr. Assem El Gazzar - Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, Major General Hesham Amna - Minister of Local Development, Dr. Manal Awad - The Governor of Damietta, Eng. Ahmed El Assar – CEO and Chairman of the Arab Contractors Company, and Eng. Hossam El Din El Rifi - Senior Vice Chairman of the Arab Contractors Company.
Following the unveiling to mark the opening of the bridge, the Prime Minister stated that the state is keen to develop and rehabilitate all historical and archaeological sites in all governorates, enabling them to be attractive tourist destinations and enhancing the cultural value of the Egyptian state.
Major General Hesham Amna - Minister of Local Development, confirmed that the Ministry is continuously monitoring the implementation rates of various development projects in the governorates, especially cultural and historical projects, noting that the historic Damietta Bridge is an enlightenment and cultural center for the people of Damietta.
During the Prime Minister's tour of the bridge site, he reviewed a booklet about the importance of the bridge, and a documentary film about its history, which included that the bridge is considered one of the oldest bridges in the world, as it was built in 1890 on the Nile River in Imbaba, and the bridge was built on the same date as Eiffel Tower in Paris, using the same type of equipment and iron.
Dr. Moustafa Madbouly listened to an explanation from Dr. Manal Awad - Governor of Damietta, where she mentioned that the bridge is known as the “Bridge of Civilization,” and it was moved to Damietta in 1927, then moved again in 2007 in front of the Misr Public Library in the governorate, with thoughtful scientific and engineering planning from Dr. Mohamed Fathi El Baradei - Governor of Damietta and former Minister of Housing.
Dr. Manal Awad indicated the governorate’s keenness to carry out development and rehabilitation works on the bridge to restore its important role and maximize the benefit from it as a historical monument registered in the Ministry of Antiquities.
The Governor of Damietta explained that the cost of the development work amounted to LE 65 million, and was implemented through the Arab Contractors Company, in light of the protocol signed in July 2021 between Damietta Governorate and the Ministry of Petroleum, represented by the Egyptian Fertilizer Production Company (MOPCO), which bore the cost of the development work as a donation and community participation.
Dr. Manal Awad pointed out that the development work included maintaining the bridge’s metal structure with all its components, providing the necessary support for all connections and structural elements, making the necessary protective paints for all parts of the bridge, and insulating it against weather factors, in a way that kept with the architectural and historical style of the bridge. In addition to rehabilitating the square opposite the bridge to include a theater, seats, a meeting and lecture hall, a fine arts exhibition, and an area for cafeterias, restaurants, and various activities.
The Prime Minister praised the quality of the work carried out and stressed the importance of preserving and sustaining the implemented work, and the necessity of carrying out permanent maintenance work. He was also keen to take photos with the citizens, including visitors, children and workers at the bridge site.
The tour was attended by Eng. Osama Nawar - Executive Board Member, Eng. Rami Moukhtar - Manager of the North Delta Branch, and Eng. Moustafa Ghazal - Deputy Branch Manager.