On 11 December 2011, His Majesty King Mohammed VI launched the construction work for a new bridge over Oued Martil, in the Coelma district of Tetouan, for a total cost of 34 million dirhams. This new infrastructure will make it possible to serve the Coelma and Meklata districts, to improve safety conditions for crossing Oued Martil, and to promote the living conditions of thousands of citizens of the city of the "White Dove." The future Coelma bridge, the first phase of which has just been completed on the eve of Eid Al-Adha, is the result of a partnership between the Directorate of Local Authorities, the Wilaya, and the urban commune of Tetouan.

With a length of 78 m, the Coelma bridge connects both the Tetouan bypass, the National Road No. 16, and the Mediterranean Ring Road, the last section of which (Tetouan-Jebha via Oued Laou) has been operational since last June. This important bridge, which will have two decks of 10 m in length each, is part of the implementation of Tetouan's urban development programmes which aim to enhance the city's geographical location, rehabilitate its natural and human potential, revitalise its historical heritage, improve its economic competitiveness, and strengthen social cohesion for a sustainable city.

The first phase of this new bridge concerns the construction of an upstream bridge (already operational), while the second phase includes the demolition of the old bridge which dates from the 1920s and finally the construction of the second lane of the bridge. The new Coelma bridge is built using prefabricated beams with a length of 78 m. The new Coelma bridge is connected directly to the new Tangier-Saidia Mediterranean Ring Road, completed with the construction of the last Tetouan-Jebha section via Oued Laou, 120 km long. Recalling that the duration of the work was respected and that the final acceptance will be done according to the rules of the art, the director of Equipment and Transport of Tetouan, Abdesselam Amrani, made it known that the mass of work for this last section of the Ring Road required 17 million cubic metres of excavation, 5 million cubic metres of embankment, and a structure totalling 13 bridges and 172 reinforcement structures. This last phase of the Mediterranean Ring Road also provides for a third lane, when the gradient exceeds 8%, to ensure the fluidity of the total linear traffic of the three-lane sections of 15.73 kilometres. With the completion of the last section of the Mediterranean Ring Road and the Coelma bridge in Tetouan, residents and road users will finally be able to travel with more ease.

The construction of the Mediterranean Ring Road between Tetouan and Jebha makes it possible to reduce the journey time by 15 hours while ensuring the most comfortable and safe conditions for users and travellers. It will facilitate the population's access to social facilities, services, and goods and subsequently create a means of opening up. Aiming above all to improve the living conditions of the population of the communes crossing this project, the new Mediterranean Ring Road connects the Tetouan province to Jebha (Chefchaouen province) with 18 other communes to induce a progressive displacement of populations towards the Mediterranean coast. It is useful to recall that this important project, which cost 2.351 billion dirhams, is intended to develop the endogenous resources of the area and new industrial, agricultural, tourist, and artisanal potential... It was behind the creation of jobs, in harmony with the development of local industry.

-* The old Coelma bridge dates from the 1920s and no longer meets the aspirations of road users.

-* The new bridge will have two phases, namely one bridge for each direction.

-* More than 10,000 vehicles pass through this important bridge daily.

-* It connects, on the one hand, the Tetouan bypass and, on the other hand, the Tetouan-Jebha section via Oued Laou of the Mediterranean Ring Road.

-* The total budget for this project is 34 million dirhams.