SR2bn causeway project aims to scrap bottlenecks

The King Fahd Causeway Authority is expected to start work on its SR2 billion expansion in the next three months to reduce chronic bottlenecks on the bridge, said to a senior official.
The five-year project involves building two islands reclaimed from the sea on either side of the bridge, of 400,000 sqm each, said Badr Al-Otaishan, director general of the causeway.
The islands would have special facilities allowing officials to process travelers.
There would also be space for local and Gulf businesspeople to invest in malls and entertainment facilities once the expansion is completed, he said.
The authority had announced the project three years ago and said it would allow the causeway to handle 100 million commuters a year.
The causeway handled 17.6 million commuters in 2012, and 19.7 million in 2013.
Each island will be 1.5 km away from the causeway, and will have 48 two-way lanes, which would allow for the processing of 4,000 vehicles an hour.
There are plans to expand this area in future to 68 lanes.
There would be a customs area for up to 400 buses, and a waiting area for 400 trucks, a 500 percent expansion on the current area.
The authority plans to complete the new expansion before the Qatar-Bahrain causeway is completed.
This bridge would increase capacity on the King Fahd Causeway by 20 to 25 percent.
Al-Otaishan said the causeway handles 55 percent of all border traffic in the Kingdom and plans are under way to ease congestion even further with rail and sea links.
The authority will complete its study on a Saudi-Bahrain railway line at the end of this year. The sea links could include ferries shuttling between the two countries, he said.
“All these plans are to ensure the smooth movement of all types of vehicles and reduce the time spent on the causeway. Moreover, there are lighting, security, and services support projects planned, including the expansion of administrative buildings.”
The bridge, which was built in 1986, has a 100-year lifespan, which can be extended with careful maintenance.