Engineer Khalaf pointed out that the ministry has changed the traffic-light of Al-Fateh intersection with Al-Juffair Avenue in cooperation with the General Traffic Directorate to increase the level of traffic safety and reduce the stopping phases, where the capacity of the traffic light was increased through not allowing the U turn for the traffic coming from the south, which will alleviate traffic congestion at that intersection.
Meanwhile, most of the traffic diversions will include not allowing opposite U turn at the traffic light No. (15) along Al-Fateh Avenue – Al-Juffair intersection – for the traffic flow coming from the south to the north heading to Manama to ensure the traffic safety along the intersection after the inauguration of the flyover coming from Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Avenue heading to Al-Fateh Avenue.
The traffic flow at all the nearby traffic lights will be monitored in collaboration with the General Traffic Directorate.
Ministry of Works is keen to maintain the traffic flow at the location of the project, and it is taking such procedures to ensure the traffic flow along Al-Fateh Avenue and the nearby roads, and therefore there are calls on the citizens and residents to abide with the traffic rules to preserve the safety of everyone.
The work team at the Ministry of Works was able to finish the achievement of the flyover in accordance with the scheduled plan in collaboration with the advisory of the ministry, and with the inauguration of the flyover, traffic jam will be reduced at Shaikh Salman Port’s intersection, where the traffic flow will be diverted from Shaikh Isa Bin Salman heading to Al-Fateh to make the flow free without stopping, which will greatly increase the capacity.
The minister added “The next expected phase will include the inauguration of the tunnel next September to make smooth traffic lanes, which will serve in the existing traffic conversions, as well as in the completion of the road works, where the project will end in September.”
The project will also provide free traffic flow without stopping from King Fahd Causeway till the industrial area in Al-Hidd, which is considered the vital course that transport the trade and industrial flow through Kingdom of Bahrain, from Saudi Arabia to Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman’s Port and vice-versa. This course will also be the most important motor-road of the main roads network in the Kingdom, affecting positively the economy and trade movement in the country.
Shaikh Salman port’s intersection is considered one of the main projects in the strategic plan for the Roads Management, where the number of vehicles passing through reach daily up to 74,000 vehicles, and the trucks reach 24% of the total traffic flow at the intersection, in addition to the volume of the traffic flow during the rush hours which reach 8000 vehicles, particularly in the morning.
On the other hand, the project includes the establishment of an intersection with three levels, where a tunnel with three lanes will be established in both directions through Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Flyover, in addition to establishing a flyover with two lanes in one direction for cars coming from west, from Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Avenue heading to north to Al-Fateh Avenue.
In regard to the intersection in the underground level, it will be controlled by traffic lights that allow U turn for the traffic flow from and to Salman Industrial Port through Avenue 42, and Al-Fateh Avenue and also Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Avenue.
The minister highlighted that there will be expected traffic congestions due to the traffic crowding along Al-Fateh Avenue because of diverting the traffic flow along it, but the ministry will provide a number of alternatives to alleviate the traffic congestion. But, such congestion will be alleviated when the project is completed to make a free traffic flow starting from King Fahd Causeway, along Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Avenue till Al-Fateh Avenue to reach north to Al-Manama Flyover.
In the meantime, there is a continuous coordination between Ministry of Works, and the General Traffic Directorate to regulate the traffic flow at the traffic lights located after Salman port’s intersection, and the required measures will be carried out according to scheduled plans.
It’s worth mentioning that the total cost of Salman port intersection’s project is about 24 million dinars, and Minister of Works stressed that the flyover has passed field tests to examine traffic safety, where the ministry appointed specialized consultants in designing the roads and the flyovers to monitor such projects and the ministry is committed to prepare designs according to the international standards.
Engineer Khalaf concluded that the development of Al-Fateh Avenue and providing free traffic flow through it will start soon.