JEDDAH: The Makkah governorate has announced four new road projects linking Makkah and Jeddah. The new roads will facilitate smoother and faster travel between the cities.

An estimated 35 million people will benefit from the projects, which will include wider roads and warning signs to help reduce traffic accidents along the way.

According to one official, Mohammed Madani, the four new projects include the Makkah-Jeddah Highway, the Old Makkah-Jeddah Road, the Breman-Hada Al-Sham-Makkah Road, the Makkah-Jeddah Direct Roadway, and a road for cargo and freight trucks that links the Second Ring Road in Jeddah and Hada-Al-Jamoum Roadway.

The 72-km Makkah-Jeddah Highway will extend from Al-Khair Bridge (Al-Mina) in Jeddah to the traffic light at Al-Dawariq Roundabout in Makkah. The highway includes 4 lanes in both directions, with a median sidewalk in the middle extending the whole way, while work is underway for a fifth lane. The Ministry of Transport has recently also adopted expansion and improvement plans for some SR90 million to increase safety along the way.

According to Al-Madani, traffic density is very high at the moment along the Al-Haramain Highway, while traffic along the Jeddah-Makkah Highway increases year after year, a situation that has required urgent expansion of these roadways in order to serve the high number of travelers during peak seasons.

He said most of the ongoing work would be completed before the coming Haj season.

As for the Old Makkah-Jeddah Highway, which is about 53 km long and is under the authorities of the Ministry of Transport, the Municipality of Jeddah, and the Municipality of Makkah, he said work was in progress to develop and improve the part of the roadway that is under the Ministry of Transport. Work has been completed on the section of the road overseen by the Makkah municipality (122.15 km). Work which includes lighting and a shoulder in each direction is in progress to improve the roadway.

Work is also in progress on the Hada-Al-Jamoum-Southern Jeddah intersection.

The Hada Al-Sham-Makkah Roadway plays a major role in facilitating travel to King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah for passengers coming from Makkah and Taif. It also reduces the amount of large truck traffic on the Al-Haramain road traveling between Taif, Riyadh, the East of the Kingdom and Jeddah.

Al-Madani said the Ministry of Transport was working on ensuring maximum benefits for travelers by providing an alternative route linking Makkah and Jeddah which is estimated to cost more than SR 86.9 billion.

As for the truck and cargo roadway linking the Second Ring Road in Jeddah with Hada and Al-Jomoum, work is currently underway. Two sections are currently under implementation, with the remaining 17 km distance to be implemented later. The road will facilitate the transfer of cargo trucks from Al-Mina and Southern Jeddah in the direction of Hada-Al-Jomoum, and will reduce the movement of trucks on the Al-Khair Bridge (Mina) and the Makkah-Jeddah Highway.

Al-Madani said studies related to the implementation of the Middle Ring Road are in progress and awaiting instructions to deliver these projects which belong to the Jeddah municipality.

The proposed Middle Ring Road extends along King Saud Road in the north of Jeddah through Al-Zomorod 1 and 2 districts and Al-Sawarit 1, 2, and 3 districts, and intersects with Madinah Road through to East Jeddah.