JEDDAH, 3 September — Jeddah Municip-ality is planning to establish a bridge over Crown Prince Street at a cost of SR500 million to ease traffic congestion. Beginning from the Old Airport, the bridge will pass by Sitteen Street before reaching Jeddah port flyover.
According to Al-Jazirah newspaper, the municipality is now studying the technical details before awarding the project to a specialized company.
The Jeddah Municipality is also studying eight other proposals to reduce traffic congestion in various parts of the city. They include the construction of tunnels and bridges on Madinah Road and Tahliah Street. Al-Jazirah said the municipality will implement the proposals shortly.
The new bridges and flyovers are part of a major project planned by the municipality to reorganize 44 under-developed districts of the city.
“This is part of a long-term plan to find solutions to all logistical problems facing the city,” Abdullah Yahya Al-Muallami, the mayor of Jeddah, told Arab News.
He added that the projects, expected to be ready for implementation within six months, will focus on reducing traffic congestion in the city. According to a recent study, on average 12,000 traffic accidents occur in Jeddah each month.
The project will take into account the recreation needs of the public and will improve facilities along the Corniche.
The municipality conducted a number of studies in recent years in its bid to reorganize the city, which covers 6.8 percent of the Kingdom’s populated area and houses some 2.5 million people.
Jeddah is a strategically located economic hub and is the gateway to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. And about 60 percent of the Kingdom’s total imports come via Jeddah Islamic Port. Forty of the Kingdom’s top 100 businesses are based in Jeddah.
The city is also a major tourist spot, especially during summer, with many world-class hotels, chalets and recreation centers. Thousands of tourists visit the city every year.
Al-Muallami added that the municipality has plans to speed up licensing procedures for commercial ventures. “There are many other objectives which we want to realize, including the restoration of utility services within 24 hours in the event of a breakdown,” the mayor said.
