M4 Motorway Project Revived to Ease Traffic

The M4 motorway project is back on the agenda after 13 years. With traffic increasing and the rise of smart cities, the government is prioritizing this project in its budget plans.

In a recent written response to Parliament, National Infrastructure Minister Ajay Gunness confirmed the revival of this major motorway project, which will pass through several villages in eastern Mauritius, including Poudre-d’Or-Hamlet, Plaines-des-Roches, Laventure, Pont Blanc, Bonne-Mère, Queen-Victoria, Clémencia, Olivia, and Ferney, as well as Beau-Champ, Bel-Air, Pont Lardier, and Caroline.

The project is part of the national road strategy and will stretch approximately 50 kilometers, starting from Forbach in the north and ending at Grand-Bel-Air in the southeast.

The main goals are to improve connectivity between the north and Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, support economic growth in the eastern region, and reduce the pressure on existing roads.

Focus on Initial Phases

Minister Gunness stated that the project will be completed in three phases. The first phase will run from Forbach to Pont Blanc, the second from Pont Blanc to Bel-Air, and the third from Bel-Air to Grand-Bel-Air.

Currently, the ministry is focusing on the first two phases, covering a 30-kilometer stretch between Forbach and Bel-Air along the B27.

Gunness has begun discussions with the Ministry of Finance to prioritize this section in the upcoming budget.

He also noted that a feasibility study was conducted in August 2012 by Luxconsult (Mauritius) Ltd, in collaboration with LEA Associates South Asia Pvt Ltd and P.D. Naidoo & Associates.

This report, originally for the “East Coast Trunk Road,” confirmed the project’s viability and highlighted the limitations of current roads, which are mainly secondary routes winding through residential areas and difficult terrain, causing significant delays for users.

No Direct Connection to Flacq Hospital

Since that study, the situation has worsened, with a notable increase in traffic due to the development of smart cities and other major projects in the area.

These changes support the recommendations from the 2012 report.

The future M4 motorway is expected to bypass the villages mentioned in a parliamentary question by MP Chetan Baboolall.

It will run near the Flacq hospital, intersecting with the B23. However, a direct connection to the hospital is not planned at this time.

This connection may be considered after the project is completed, depending on the needs assessed by the Road Development Authority (RDA). No official launch date has been announced yet.

Source: Defi Media