Bahrain sees Al Janabiya Highway expansion work on track

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Bahrain's Ministry of Works has announced that steady progress is being made on the Al Janabiiya Highway Expansion project with 30% of the infrastructure work already completed.

The key infrastructure project, which features on the Government Action Plan, is being financed by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED).

The 5-km-long expansion will transform the Al Janabiya Highway into a three-lane artery on both directions to cope with the increasing flow of the traffic, said the ministry.

The traffic flow on Al Janabiya Highway kept increasing over the past few years by 3% on average annually to reach 54,600 vehicles per day (6700 vehicles / hour), it stated.

The new expansion will boost the capacity of the highway, which will be able to accommodate up to 10,500 vehicles per hour on average in both directions during the peak hours.

The Tender Board had awarded the highway development project under a contract worth BD9.24 million ($24.3 million), said Kadhem Abdullatif, Assistant Undersecretary for Roads Projects.

The final estimated budget for the project is about BD12 million ($32 million), including other transformation costs as part of the infrastructure scheme, he stated.

Abdullatif said the expansion will support the infrastructure network and contribute to developing the surrounding roads leading to Salman Town, which is one of the largest residential city in Bahrain.

The project will serve Salman Town, Budaiya, Al Janabiya and the other neighbouring areas, it added.