Bahrain's Ministry of Works, Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning, has signed an agreement with leading Emirati company, Western Bainoona Group for the construction of  Phase One of the Sheikh Zayed Highway development project in the kingdom.

Part of the Gulf Development Programme, the BD23.4-million ($62 million) project will help reduce traffic congestion in the A' Ali and Salmabad areas. It is aimed at improving Bahrain’s road capacity and solving traffic congestion on Sheikh Zayed Highway as well as Salmabad's Street No12, which are used by some 4,000 vehicles during peak hours and over 50,000 vehicles throughout the day.

Phase One will involve expansion of various streets to three lanes in each direction, as well as the installation of new traffic lights, lighting, road barriers, traffic signs, street renovation, landscaping, and rainwater drainage, it stated.

It is a key part of Bahrain’s efforts to improve its road network, remarked Issam bin Abdullah Khalaf, Bahrain's Minister of Works, Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning, after signing the agreement in the presence of Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE ambassador to Bahrain.

Funded by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development Fund (ADFD), the highway is a strategic project that connects A' Ali, Salmabad and Zayed City to Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Street, stated Khalaf.

On completion, the highway's capacity will increase to 80,000 vehicles per day and 6,000 vehicles during peak hours, while waiting times at intersections will be reduced by over 60 per cent, he added.-TradeArabia News Service