RIYADH: The High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh is using advanced safety systems to develop King Abdullah Road, particularly four of its tunnels, the commission announced on Monday.
"These systems include providing the tunnels with emergency support services in accordance with international specifications of traffic safety in road tunnels," a spokesman for the Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) told Arab News.
The ADA is the executive branch of the high commission.
The systems include early warning devices that measure visibility and concentrations of poisonous gases inside the tunnels.
Measures to combat fire inside the tunnels include the installation of early warning devices and fire extinguishers.
The tunnels are also supplied with special equipment in case of an electricity breakdown, including those that provide light when visibility is too low to guide individuals to safe exits on the sides of the tunnels.
The tunnels were also supplied with backup generators that supply power in case of power cuts, in addition to engineering equipment that help evacuate trapped motorists to safety.
Safety equipment inside the tunnels also include a system that helps in determining the speed of air entering the tunnels.
Moreover, water collection traps were also installed on the road. These will transfer water to a reservoir before it is pumped into the city's drainage system.
© Arab News 2011
