Bahrain - Expansion and maintenance work has begun at the King Fahad Causeway to increase the border’s capacity to accommodate more travellers.

The first phase of the project will be completed in three months, according to the King Fahad Causeway Authority (KFCA), with two more phases planned.

Aimed at improving the transit experience of people travelling between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the expansion project will be completed within the year, the authority said in a statement.

The announcement came ahead of a severe traffic jam at the border on Monday, which lasted for eight to 12 hours, according to multiple reports.

Saudi newspaper Al Yaum reported that nine checkpoints were closed.

French expatriate Olivier Petrilli was stuck on the causeway for 11 hours, having left Saudi Arabia at 4pm and reaching his home in Janabiya at 3am.

“I commute every day to work and it takes between 60 to 90 minutes, door to door,” said the 52-year-old workshop manager who has been living in Bahrain for six-and-a-half years with his wife Celine, 50, and daughter Pauline, a 13-year-old St Christopher’s School student.

“Yesterday was awful — it was 11 hours door to door! People stuck on the causeway were frustrated and many were nervous as well because they had children with them.”

According to Mr Petrilli, several families had ventured out on Monday as it was a holiday for children in Saudi Arabia.

“There were only a few booths catering to all people and instead of closing the causeway to clear things up, they allowed people in. Long queues followed and some people even got angry. I believe there were only three lines where usually there are 10 or more,” added Mr Petrilli.

“My wife was worried and was waiting for me too.”

The causeway authority, meanwhile, apologised for ‘any inconveniences or obstruction to the flow of traffic during the execution of the project’.

On Saturday, 136,498 travellers crossed the causeway, breaking an earlier record of 131,177 passengers set on January 11, 2020. The massive influx of visitors over the weekend was due to the Formula One Grand Prix, which took place between Friday and Sunday.

Copyright 2022 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).