Jeddah will have more than 30 pedestrian bridges over most of its main streets and squares by the end of 2013.
Spokesman for the Jeddah mayor’s office, Abdulaziz Al-Nahari, told Arab News that the mayor’s office will coordinate with Jeddah's Traffic Police Department which would provide the results of studies and field research regarding the locations of the new bridges.
Among the roads to be included in the project are Prince Sultan Road and Alandalus Road as well as other main roads where population density is high.
The mayor’s office has been tasked with surveying all existing pedestrian bridges in Jeddah in order to refurbish the ones with safety issues.
Al-Nahari said the issue of bridges for the disabled is being studied by a joint committee comprising the two parties — the mayor’s office and the traffic police. He said those with special needs are a priority and the mayor’s office always considers them in all its projects, the last of which was the corniche renovation project where special chairs and sitting areas were installed.
Mazen Khayyat, a special-needs ex-member of the Shoura Council, welcomed the idea of providing pedestrian bridges accommodating the disabled and said that it would be a boost for the cultural perception of special needs citizens.
He said he has problems crossing streets, especially those in crowded areas and near malls and markets.
Jeddah to be more pedestrian-friendly with 30 new bridges
