Thousands of residents in the eastern part of Jeddah face serious congestion problems due to the absence of proper exits with access to Al-Haramain Road, the main artery motorists use to commute into the city.
According to daily commuters, the only exit to Al-Haramain Road is so narrow that it only permits one car to move at a time. It leads to severe traffic jams.
Local residents have dubbed Al-Haramain Road as the “eye of the needle,” referring to the narrow road. They have expressed frustration with the lack of proper planning in the area.
In order to allay the concerns of the commuters, Jeddah authorities are studying the possibility of constructing passages along the rainwater drainage tunnels to provide citizens with alternate routes.
Residents of Al-Hamdaniya, Al-Majed, Al-Salehiya, Al-Henaki and other neighborhoods have criticized the lack of road planning.
A resident of eastern Jeddah said the area’s population density has intensified due to the construction of hundreds of housing complexes, coupled with a two-fold population growth over the past years.
“Imagine thousands of people every morning commuting from these neighborhoods across one pathway to reach Al-Haramain road,” said an exasperated resident, adding, “It is a daily struggle that should have been resolved years ago. The exit is like a needle’s eye as vehicles and trucks struggle to pass through this small lane in order to reach Al-Haramain road, one car at a time.”
Another resident suggested that opening the eastern road, located near the pilgrims building bridge, would ease the congestion. “The authorities have neglected the eastern part of Jeddah at the expense of western Jeddah,” said another exasperated commuter.
