فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water, stated that the severe weather disturbances experienced by the Kingdom between December 12 and January 7 caused traffic disruptions on more than 165 sections of national, regional, and provincial roads. These disruptions were the result of torrential rainfall and heavy snowfall affecting several areas.
In a response delivered before the House of Representatives during a thematic session on the state of rural roads, the minister explained that the road closures were mainly due to rising water levels in wadis, streams, and low-lying road sections, in addition to landslides, rockfalls, and soil slippage, which directly affected mobility.
Heavy Snowfall in Several Mountain Provinces
Regarding snowfall, Baraka confirmed that snow depth exceeded one meter on certain road axes, while accumulations surpassed three meters in some mountainous areas, particularly in the provinces of Azilal, Tinghir, Guercif, Taza, and Boulemane. These weather conditions, he said, made it extremely difficult to maintain continuous traffic flow.
He added that snowfall led to the closure of 88 road sections, with a total length of approximately 2,435 kilometers, spread across several provinces, including Ifrane, El Hajeb, Sefrou, Boulemane, Taza, Beni Mellal, Khénifra, Al Hoceima, Oujda, Jerada, Guercif, and Taroudant.
Priority Given to National Roads
With regard to intervention management, the Minister of Equipment and Water explained that the ministry follows a phased approach to reopening roads, giving priority to national roads as they are key corridors for mobility and essential services. He noted that the average time required to reopen roads blocked by snow ranges between 17 and 28 hours, while for national roads this duration is reduced to between 14 and 24 hours.
He added that maintenance and snow-clearing teams, in coordination with local authorities, succeeded in reopening most of the affected road sections. However, some roads required repeated interventions due to successive snowstorms accompanied by strong winds, which at times made it difficult to ensure uninterrupted traffic.
Human and Logistical Mobilization to Lift Isolation
The minister also pointed out that snow removal operations took longer on unpaved road sections, where conventional equipment is difficult to use, necessitating the deployment of alternative machinery such as bulldozers and leveling equipment. As part of efforts to lift isolation from affected populations, Baraka confirmed that the ministry reinforced several mountainous provinces with additional equipment to accelerate the reopening of roads and unclassified tracks.
In conclusion, he revealed that 832 personnel and 357 pieces of equipment—including snowplows, blowers, excavation, and leveling machines—were mobilized to intervene in several provinces, among them Azilal, Khénifra, Midelt, Tinghir, Ouarzazate, Boulemane, Al Haouz, Beni Mellal, Chefchaouen, Chichaoua, Guercif, Taza, and Sefrou.
Source: Fes News Media
