Well, I think I'm going to come from the other direction.

Like Ted rightly said above, in your memories the Wadi Halfa ferry is one of the big events of an East African trip.
All the ticketing and the amazing theatricals that went with it (southbound, maybe different northbound). And the rituals surrounding the vehicle barge. Plus the crossing itself and being in amongst the passengers. It's a big chunk of crossing the Sahara.
So is it really progress for travellers looking for experiences outside of normal western cultures? To replace all that with a piece of tarmac? Is it really to be welcomed?

Secondly - a lot of the African passengers (southbound again, probably completely different northbound) are family groups, some pretty big, with huge amounts of luggage mainy comprising 'white goods'. Fridges, microwaves, food processors plus sound systems, computers, TVs and the whole gamut of modern household stuff. So they seem to be Africans with some money to spend.
And the whole ferry enterprise must employ quite a lot of people.
There seemed to be quite a few on-board staff and there must be engine-room and bridge crew as well.
Plus shore crew, maintenance, docks staff and all the other people I can't think of right now.
Plus crews for the vehicle barges.

So I wondered, how many workers' families are supported by this enterprise? By the passengers who have money to spend on their shopping in Egypt, by the fares they pay, and by the comparatively tiny number of foreign travellers on board who maybe pay a higher fare?
What awaits those families when the ferry is no more?
How many will earn a living once the majority of passengers simply spend a little longer on their buses to cross from Egypt to Sudan?
What of the Aswan-to-High Dam train service, will that survive?

In January 2010 there were strong rumours that "if you waited two months" you'd be able to ride across the border. It seemed to be accepted that all the tarmac was in place and already being well used by the military on both sides. I picked up strong indications that there was a lot of resistance to opening the road because of the large number of businesses that would then cease, and that's no small issue in Africa. So I wonder now, when will this road really open?
We won't know, I guess, until it happens. But I wonder - who will benefit???

Omar, thanks for posting this up. Good to hear from you.
Don't know if you remember but we passed on the road in the Western Desert, January 2010, you going north to Alexandria from Cape Town, and us three on little Yamahas going south to Nairobi and Cape Town.
You gave us good advice about the Isiolo road, and 'little sand dunes behind El Qasr, good for practising on!' My daughter and son-in-law found Africa so enticing they now live and work in Khartoum and have their Yamahas there with them.

All the best,
Ken

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TTR250 - London to Cape Town