Red Sea–Dead Sea Access

Ahmad Shobaki, Minister of Public Works of Jordan, meets RSEA officials

An agreement was signed in Amman on October 24, 1974, between the Retired Servicemen Engineering Agency (RSEA) of Taiwan and the Jordanian government, under which a new "road to friendship" will be built in the southern part of the Hashemite Kingdom. Yen Hsiao-chang, RSEA director, and Ahmad Shobaki, Jordanian minister of public works, signed the agreement for the construction of the 187-kilometre (116 mi) highway.

Under the agreement, RSEA will build the highway in 30 months. Construction will start in three months. Carrying a price tag of US$14 million, the highway will open up new horizons in industrial and agricultural development in southern Jordan.[1]

Taiwan engineers and local labors at the site

600,000 cubic metres (780,000 cu yd) of sand dune was opened for the critical area of the road within three months. To expedite the program, engineering expertise from surveying to embankment were brought in from Taiwan as well. More than 150 pieces of equipment were used, including three Wabco 555 self-elevating scrapers, 10 Caterpillar bulldozers, 10 HINO dumping trucks, loaders, graders, water tanks, vibrating compactors and roller compactors, etc.

Map of the Safi-Aqaba Highway and nearby locations

The Safi-Aqaba Highway is a highway at Jordan side of the Jordan–Israel border. Totaling 187 kilometres (116 mi) in length, it connects Safi, the south end of Dead Sea to Aqaba, the north point of Red Sea. RSEA started the project in 1974 and finished it 1977.[2]

Lo Chien-Ning, chief engineer, was assigned to oversee the engineering. All engineers, mechanics, operators—74 expatriates—were selected from RSEA's job site at Taiwan (ROC), Africa, Saudi Arabia and Thailand. There are also over 200 local operators, laborers from Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, etc. The working schedule should follow Muslim's custom regarding the warship bell and festival of Ramadan and Hajj.

There was rarely life of animals and plants along the construction route. During the construction, the engineering group and equipment were moved in from Aqaba to form a new town in the desert, the lowest place in the world.

Crown Prince of Jordan visits the construction site

Besides high temperatures over 40 °C (104 °F), the project had some challenges along the way. The Jordan–Israel border fence at 57 kilometres (35 mi) was standing on the designed alignment. Lin Chi-Ko, manager of Jordan Project Office of RSEA, contacted Israel patrol at the fence and told them the fence need to be moved to meet the highway design. After the fence was moved, the surveyors continued to work through. Furthermore, at 25–66 kilometres (16–41 mi), Jordan Engineering Corps support had to clear some mines. And it was only safe to conduct construction within 100 metres (330 ft) of the centerline of the alignment. Unfortunately, on June 17, 1975, an accident happened. The leader of surveying team of Jordan Public Works, along with two technicians and a driver were killed by a mine.

"The Pavilion of Friendship", a landmark and symbol for the highway, was built as a present by Taiwan to Jordan. Even though the diplomatic relation was terminated eventually, the people from two countries continued working together to finish building the highway.

Engineers and officials from Taiwan at the opening ceremony

Safi-Mazra'a Highway is 32 kilometres (20 mi) in length. the embankment at the swampy region, and the rock at steep cliff area was exploded to use for the backfill. RSEA started the project in 1978 and finished it in 1979.[2] During that time, RSEA also provided the equipment in the desert to Hyundai Engineering & Construction for housing units and to M&K Construction Company for Arab Potash Company projects.

Suweima-Zara Highway, 19 kilometres (12 mi) in length, was built north of Mazra'a. RSEA started the project in 1979 and finished it in 1981.[2] There is a gap along the Dead Sea between Mazra'a and Sweima. All heavy equipment was moved through King's Highway via Al Karak on crooked mountain roads over 800 kilometres (500 mi). And the Camp of Sweima was set face to face with the golden dome of Jerusalem across the Dead Sea.

There was an incomplete section from Mazra'a to Zara. Part of the original scope of the project, this section is 35 kilometres (22 mi) in length. The highway can range from a dirt road to a pavement and is intended to facilitate access by the Dead Sea. But the impact of the project was a dominant concern. Environment control, natural resource development, transportation facilities, tunnels, bridges and other structures are all among the factors taken into consideration. And it was decided that the project would be too expensive.

Later, the highway was constructed nevertheless as part of Jordan's 25-year plan to build an extensive road network which travels around the country. As of today, Highway 65 reaches far north in Jordan.