Famous Jeddah roundabout to pedal its way into history

The Bicycle Roundabout will be removed to make way for a new bridge at the intersection of King Fahd Street (Sitteen Street) and Rawdah Street.
The project will cost over SR82 million and the construction is expected to last 18 months, said Lt. Col. Zaid Al-Hamzi, spokesman for the Jeddah Traffic Department.
The development of the bridge is currently being carried out by the Jeddah Secretariat in coordination with the Jeddah Traffic Department as part of a greater framework for traffic reduction across main streets and squares in Jeddah.
He said that there was frequent traffic congestion, especially at peak times, despite traffic patrols present to regulate traffic.
Al-Hamzi said the department is creating exits and alternative routes along the four main streets surrounding the square.
Sami Nawar, spokesman for the Jeddah Secretariat, said that equipment and heavy machinery were sent to the site on Tuesday.
This is the last in a series of projects to alleviate traffic congestion along King Fahd Street starting from the Jeddah Islamic Port in the south to Al-Nuzha Road in the north.
Several bridges and tunnels are to be constructed at the White Horse roundabout, the Astronomy roundabout, and Industrial Institute Street, in addition to upgrading the road network to facilitate traffic movement across intersections and main roundabouts in the city, he said.
Nawar added that the main project is the establishment of an overpass at the intersection between King Fahd Street and Rawdah Street with service roads and ramps leading to the bridge.
He noted that there are no plans to remove the bicycle itself and that it will be incorporated within the framework of the project because it is considered to be one of Jeddah’s most famous landmarks and one of the oldest existing roundabouts after the Al-Baiaa roundabout.