Cairo: Egypt's armed forces spokesman Mohamed Samir said yesterday that the military started digging the projected new Suez Canal last Wednesday.
The Egyptian Armed Forces Engineering Authority will head construction of the 72 km channel. Some 33 specialised Egyptian civilian companies and two army battalions will build the channel, Samir said. The project is expected to cost $4bn. The channel could be completed in one year, Samir said, far earlier than initial reports suggested. [11/08/14]
