Red Sea–Dead Sea Access

The Red Sea - Dead Sea Access is a series of highway construction projects intended to bring easy transportation and prosperity to Jordan, Israel, Palestine and the surrounding area.

• Map of the Red Sea - Dead Sea Access, 1977
  Map of the Red Sea - Dead Sea Access, 1977

Anticipation

A highway access between the Red Sea and Dead Sea has been anticipated by the people for centuries. The bible has mentioned such a highway as well. "...there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left..." (Isaiah, chapter 11:16) "And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness...of the day of the Lord's vengeance and the desert to blossom..." (Isaiah, chapter 35:8)

The Agreement

An agreement was signed in Amman on Oct. 24th, 1974 between the Retired Servicemen Engineering Agency (RSEA) of Taiwan and the Jordanian government, under which a new "road to friendship" will be built in the southern part of the Hashemite Kingdom. Yen Hsiao-chang, RSEA director, and Ahmad Shobaki, Jordanian minister of public works, signed the agreement for the construction of the 187-kilometer highway between Ghor Safi and Aqaba.

Under the agreement, RSEA will build the highway in 30 months. Construction will start in three months. Carrying a price tag of 14 million U.S. dollars, the highway will open up new horizons in industrial and agricultural development in southern Jordan.

The Preparation

600,000 cubic meters of sand dune was opened for the critical area of the road within three months. To expedite the program, engineering expertise from surveying to embankment were brought in from Taiwan as well. More than 150 pieces of equipment were used, including 3 Wabco 555 self-elevating scrapers, 10 Caterpillar Bulldozers, 10 HINO dumping trucks, loaders, graders, water tanks, vibrating compactors and roller compactors, etc.

Safi-Aqaba Highway

The Safi-Aqaba Highway is a highway at Jordan side of the Jordan/Israel border. Totaling 187km in length, it connects Safi, the south end of Dead Sea to Aqaba, the north pint of Red Sea.

During the construction, the engineering group and equipment were moved in from Aqaba to form a new town in the desert, the lowest place in the world and the temperature was always over 40 degrees while starting to set the camp for the people, to build the garage, and digging the well etc,

There was rarely life of animals and plants. All engineers, mechanics, operators -74 expatriates - were selected from RSEA's job site at Taiwan (ROC), Africa, Saudi Arabia, Thailand. Over 200 local operators, laborers are from Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Syria,Yemen, etc. The working schedule should follow Muslim's custom regarding the warship bell and festival of Ramadan and Hajj.

For the embankment, dry compaction ws suggested but not in consideration. To achieve the high standard of lab experiment, everyone was working hard for the performance.

The fence at 57k between Jordan and Israel was standing on the designed alignment. Lin Chi-Ko, manager of Jordan Project Office RSEA, contacted Israel' patrol at the fence and told them the fence was within the boundary of Israel and should be moved to meet the design. After the fence was reset by the promise,the surveyors could work through.

Furthermore, at 25k-66k to clear the mines by Jordan Engineering Corps support, within 100m of the centerline of the alignment was safe for the construction. All visitors should be aware that they do not go over that limitation. On June 17, 1975 the accident was happened, the leader of surveying team of Jordan Public Works with two technicians and a driver were killed.

As a symbol of the landmark "the Pavilion of Friendship" was a present from the Republic of China to Jordan. Even though, the diplomatic relation was terminated eventually. But the people of two countries are still working together. There is fraternity all over the world without boundary.

Projects pass over Wadi Arabah

Safi - Mazra'a Highway is 32km in length. the embankment at the swampy region, and

the rock at steep cliff area was exploded to use for the backfill. And RSEA provided the equipment in the desert to Hyundai Construction Company, South Korea for housing units and to M&K Construction Company, USA for Arab Potash Company projects.

Sweima - Zara Highway is 19km in length was built north of Mazra'a. But from Mazra'a to Sweima there is a gap along the Dead Sea. All heavy equipment was moved through King's Highway via Karak of crooked mountain road over 800km to transport in Jordan. And the Camp of Sweima was set across the Dead Sea face to face with the gold dome of Jerusalem.

Incomplete Section by the Dead Sea

From Mazra'a to Zara 35km in length, a scope of the project, the highway can range from a dirt road to a pavement and to facilitate access by the Dead Sea. But the requirements involve the compacts of archaeology, biology, hydrology and economy. The cost of the project is dominant concern. The criterion is a range of values - within which is the performance of the projects. Thus, it is concerned with the construction for environment control, natural resource development, transportation facilities, tunnels, bridges and other structures. It was apparent concerning the value, the project would be expensive. And it may be keenly aware of the consideration to hold the incomplete section until now, April 2014.

Two Seas Canal

From the Six Day War in 1967 to the Peace Valley Plan, the dream came true, making history and impacting the area. Presently with the co-operation of Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the Red Sea - Dead Sea canal project phase one begun in August 2013. The benefits to the region are tremendous.....