Dredgers started removal of the trees in a couple of streets in Maadi, South Cairo, to start construction of Algeria axis road that is to connect Autostrad road with Helwan and Tebbein, South Cairo, passing through Algeria square in Maadi.
The residents of the Cairo’s district, which is known of its rare and perineal trees, addressed the Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly, regarding the urban effects of the new road.
In addition, Mohebbi Al-Ashgar (Trees lovers) organization called on the authorities to find out alternative paths for the new axis in order to protect the wide green areas in Maadi. The CVO warned in a statement of the effect of the new axis of a couple of important historical buildings in the district. According to the statement, the project violates the law 119 of 2008, which provides the necessity to protect the urban, architectural, environmental, and historical value of the districts that have historical character like Maadi. The organization said that the new axis will change the calm nature and the urban identity of Maadi, eliminating its wealth of trees and green areas, which were grown over decades. According to Forbes, Maadi, with his rare trees, is a unique exception in Cairo, which is one of the most polluted cities all over the world.
It is noteworthy that Algeria axis is an episode in a series of new roads that threatened the old classy urban districts of Cairo. A previous one was Ismailia bridge project that crossed Masr al-Gadida (Heliopolis), which threatened number of historical buildings, on top of them was Basilique Notre Dame d’Heliopolis Co-Cathedral. The project led to the removal of 390 thousand feddans of green areas and rooting out trees on the sides of the streets to widen them, with a cost of USD 48 million.
