Kaïs Saïed revives 2.4-kilometre Djerba bridge project
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Webdo
Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed revived the 2.4-kilometre bridge project between Ajim on Djerba island and El Jorf on the mainland during a meeting with the equipment minister on 2 November 2026. Studies in 2023 estimated its cost at between 900 million and 1 billion dinars and construction at three and a half years, Webdo reports.
Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed relaunched on 2 November the project for a 2.4-kilometre bridge between Ajim, in south-western Djerba, and El Jorf on the mainland. He discussed the permanent link with Equipment and Housing Minister Salah Zouari, according to Webdo.
The bridge is intended to reduce reliance on the ferries currently operating between Ajim and El Jorf. The service makes an average of 132 crossings a day in both directions, carrying around 13,500 passengers and 2,500 vehicles, according to a fact sheet from the General Authority for Public-Private Partnerships.
Studies presented in October 2023 estimated the project’s cost at between 900 million and 1 billion dinars, with construction expected to take three and a half years. These figures correspond to the study’s estimates and not to an updated budget. The project includes a prestressed-concrete viaduct and road improvements on Djerba. The technical, economic, financial and environmental studies were entrusted to SCET-Tunisie with funding from the French Development Agency.
The project remains planned as a partnership between the public and private sectors, but no construction timetable has been confirmed. Mobilising funding and choosing the implementation structure remain the main steps to be resolved, according to Webdo.
