TAIF: Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry said yesterday that the ministry withdrew 14 road projects valued at SR80 million from contractors when they delayed work on the projects.
“The ministry handed over those projects to other contractors,” he said.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting the new Hada road in this summer resort, Al-Seraisry said the project, which cost SR218 million, would be ready for opening on April 11.
He said during the last 12 months his ministry had carried out road projects with a total length of 5,800 kilometers. “This represents three times more than the distance between Jeddah and Dammam,” he said.
“The ministry is always ready to assist contractors and understand their problems, but when they deliberately delay projects we will be forced to hand them over to other contractors,” he said.
Al-Seraisry said the global recession had no effect on the ministry’s projects. “The new fiscal budget includes projects worth huge amounts because Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah wants the country’s infrastructure to be intact,” he said.
Speaking about railway expansion projects, Al-Seraisry said work on the Haramain Railway linking Makkah and Madinah with Jeddah would start within two months.
The minister began his tour inspecting the two-way Hada Al-Kar Road before checking the Taif-Baha Road. He was accompanied by Abdullah Al-Moqbil, deputy minister for road affairs, and Mufreh Al-Zahrani, director general of roads and transport in Makkah province.
The first part of the dual road between Taif and Baha has been completed at a cost of SR661 million. It has three parts with a total length of 195 kilometers. All three parts were opened to traffic by the middle of last year.
“The Taif-Baha dual road is one of the important projects being implemented by the ministry. It is part of a plan to convert all major roads in Makkah, Baha and Asir provinces into two-lane highways,” said the minister, adding that it would cost SR1.47 billion.
It has been decided to remove a number of properties on both sides at the northern entrance of Taif as part of efforts to widen the road along a total length of 33 kilometers. Real estate owners along Sail Al-Kabir Road have been informed to vacate their buildings in order to begin work shortly.
Taif’s Municipal Chairman Mohammed Al-Mukhrij said the project would be completed this year. “We have plans to expand other roads to facilitate access to this tourist city,” he said.
