The long wait remains on expanding one of the most crucial artery roads in the kingdom as planners tackle a series of ‘complications’ making the multi-million dinar development a stop, start and stop again affair.
As frustrated commuters continue queuing, MPS are now demanding action eight years after it was first announced that work would begin shortly.
Mr Hashim
“The longer work on expanding Budaiya Highway gets delayed, the more difficult it becomes,” claimed area MP Sayed Falah Hashim.
“It has been eight years since plans were first announced and at least 15 years when the issue was first discussed between ministry officials and Northern Municipal Council members.
“Today, the area has witnessed the building of more homes and more businesses have opened which just adds to the problem. It’s crazy that one of the country’s main artery roads continues to face huge traffic jams.”
The project, estimated to cost BD25 million, aims at tackling the acute congestion on Budaiya and Janabiya highways.
Revamping work on Budaiya Highway, from Burgerland roundabout to Budaiya, is expected to cost BD14m and the Janabiya Highway an expected BD11m, according to Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry officials, as reported earlier in the GDN.
Funding comes from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development as part of a $10 billion financial support package pledged to Bahrain by GCC allies.
Both highways will get two extra lanes, becoming three-lane highways in each direction.
Both highways are important arteries to Northern Governorate areas, including Salman Town. The expansion of the highways was first announced in 2014, but was held up due to a lack of funding at the time.
Ms Hammada
The ministry’s roads, planning and design director Maha Hammada highlighted the issues being faced.
“Revamps to Budaiya Highway are taking time and that’s due to the complicated nature of the road with us needing to purchase or replace private property and relocate government services like electricity and phone cables from underground, while not disrupting flow,” she explained.
“Here comes the importance of the road revamp to Janabiya Highway. As soon as it is ready it will help ease the pressure the network will face when we start work on the Budaiya Highway.
“In the end, when both are ready, they will have higher capacities to cope with future urbanisation and population surges.”
Work will focus on completing the Janabiya section in the coming months as work moves towards Budaiya, she added.
Mr Al Demistani
Only concrete action will pacify many in the area. Parliament public utilities and environment affairs committee vice-chairman Ahmed Al Demistani believes the more delays there are, the more difficult it becomes to get the project finished.
Even instigating detours and using other routes, like Al Nakheel Highway, the disruption will have a heavy toll on residents. “We have heard this year, this year, so many times,” he added, “but Budaiya Highway is clearly a priority and should be dealt with as such.”
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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