East Port Said will soon have a new side channel overlooking the Mediterranean and allowing direct access to the port. Prior to the construction of this side channel, the only access to the port was through the Suez Canal entrance, meaning that to enter or exit the port ships had to wait for convoys passing in and out of the Suez Canal.
The new channel will allow more efficient use of the canal because it will mean less waiting time, says Mohamed Shihab, managing director for Egypt, Lebanon, Libya and Syria of Maersk Lines, part of the Maersk Group which owns 55 per cent of the Suez Canal Containers Terminal (SCCT), currently operating at East Port Said. According to Reuters, the new side channel will be 9.5 kms long and 18.5 metres deep.
The SCCT had been at odds with the government over construction of the side channel until a decision was reached that construction would wait until completion of the New Suez Canal waterway since the dredging machinery would already be on site. According to Reuters, SCCT is partially financing the $60 million project to the tune of $15 million.
