JEDDAH: The Jeddah Municipality has awarded four new flyover and underpass projects to contractors as part of a long-term plan to ease the flow of traffic around the city.
The projects, worth more than SR200 million, are part of the municipality's strategic projects that aim to eliminate the problem of traffic congestions and the population growth in the city, said Ahmad Banafa, general supervisor of projects at the Jeddah Municipality.
He said that the first project involves the intersection between Prince Majid Road and Palestine Street. The SR123.6 million project includes the construction of an underpass on Prince Majid Road and a flyover on Palestine Street. The project has been handed to the Egypt-based Arab Contractors Company.
The second project involves constructing an underpass through Prince Majid Road that covers both Abdullah Al-Sulaiman and Bakhashab Streets. The SR113.1 million project includes the construction of a flyover at the intersection between Prince Majid Road and Abdullah Al-Sulaiman Street. Sinopec Engineering will handle the project.
The third project involves the construction of a flyover and an underpass at the intersection between Prince Majid Road and Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz (Tahliah) Street. "This SR137 million project would contribute to easing the flow of traffic in that highly congested intersection," he said. Huta Hegerfeld, who has also been awarded the fourth project, will handle the project.
The fourth project includes building a flyover at the intersection of Prince Majid Road with Sari Street. The project, which is worth SR79 million, also involves road adjustment over Sari Street to ease traffic, he said.
Banafa said that the municipality is working now with a fixed strategy that would meet the requirements of the growing population of the city, which has reached more than 3 million -- a 4 percent annual increase.
By Hasan Hatrash
© Arab News 2008
