The 6 October Bridge in Egypt’s capital Cairo (Image: Getty)
An incredible bridge in Africa that took 27 years to build – at a cost of more than £43m at today’s prices – is so long that it crosses the same river twice.
The 6 October Bridge in is a major infrastructure landmark in Cairo, both in terms of its size and historical significance. It spans the Nile River twice, connects the western suburbs of Cairo to the city centre – and extends towards the
At a whopping 13.7 miles long, it is one of the on the continent.
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The bridge took 27 years to build (Image: Getty)
Construction work for the bridge began in 1969, but faced numerous delays. These were caused by political and economic challenges – and the outbreak of war.
The bridge was finally completed in 1996, costing around 200 million Egyptian pounds, about £24 million at the time – which, adjusted for inflation, would be around £43 million today.
The bridge remains a crucial traffic artery and handles a huge proportion of Cairo’s daily traffic. However, it also struggles with heavy congestion.
The bridge struggles to cope with Cairo’s traffic (Image: Getty)
The bridge’s name commemorates two key events in modern Egyptian history. Firstly, it remembers the Yom Kippur War.
On October 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on , which marked the beginning of the 19-day war. It was the culmination of years of tension during the Arab-Israeli conflict.
In particular, it was a response to the Six-Day War in 1967, which started when Israkle launched a preemptive strike on the Egyptian Air Force. went on to capture significant territories – the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan.
Later, on October 6, 1981, Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat was assassinated by members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad.
The bridge connects Cairo’s airport with the pyramids at Giza (Image: Getty)
While the bridge was once a symbol of Egyptian modernity and a major infrastructural achievement, it has become synonymous with traffic congestion – and it is one of the most notorious bottlenecks in Cairo – one of the largest cities in the world.
The bridge is the primary traffic artery connecting central Cairo to western suburbs like Giza – home to the famous pyramids – and the Cairo International Airport. It also serves as a key route between several important districts in the city.
As Cairo’s population has grown, the volume of traffic on the 6 October Bridge has soared. By 2016, Cairo had an estimated three million vehicles on the road – and the bridge, which was originally designed to handle a smaller volume of traffic, has struggled to cope.