Bahrain has completed a number of key projects, including the revamping of secondary roads, implementing ground channels for future use and building a storm water drainage network in the Isa Town area.

The infrastructure revamp work at 'The oldest town in the kingdom', was to provide better services to citizens and residents in the area, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

These included revamping secondary roads to cope with the residential density in the town, enhancing the capacity of those roads and increasing traffic safety levels.

Works, Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry's under-secretary Ahmed Al Khayyat said the projects were in line with directives from His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa to develop, maintain and renovate Isa Town.

The projects included:

*Revamping Avenue 5, which connects Muscat Avenue in the north to Doha Avenue in the south, serves the traditional suq area, the petrol station and Yousif Engineer Health Centre, in addition to the nearby residential blocks.

Work comprised reconstructing and revamping the avenue for a length of 810m with two lanes in each direction, organising the intersections located between internal roads by constructing two roundabouts, constructing parking spaces on the sides of the avenue, protecting existing services in co-ordination with the entities concerned (electricity, water and sewerage services), implementing ground channels for present and future use and building a storm water drainage network.

The project also include paving work, creating pedestrian pavements and installing signs and lighting.

* Revamping Abu Dhabi Avenue - the part located between Al Estiqlal Highway and Jerusalem Avenue.

Work comprised expanding the avenue into three lanes in each direction, installing a pedestrian traffic signal and implementing safety and pedestrian barriers. It increased safety levels for the schools located on both sides of the avenue.

* Revamping Algeria Avenue, connecting blocks 804 and 810, Tunisia Avenue, connecting blocks 803 and 805 and Al Khartoum Avenue, connecting blocks 804 and 805.

Work comprised repaving, protecting existing services (electricity and water), implementing ground channels, building a storm water drainage network, lighting and pedestrian pavements and constructing parking spaces and signage.

* Revamping Beirut Avenue, Road 702 and other roads in the vicinity.

The ministry also maintained Riyadh Avenue, improved the internal roads in five blocks in Isa Town, and is presently revamping other roads in two more blocks.

Revamp work include repaving roads with asphalt, installing bricks along pavements, a drainage system and lighting. Earlier, the ministry had installed a traffic signal along the interchange of Baghdad Avenue with the entrance leading to Isa Town block. Another traffic signal was also installed along the interchange of Damascus Avenue and Cairo Avenue.

Al Khayyat said that the development work included constructing 830 parking spaces on the sides of the roads, in residential blocks and near schools, mosques and commercial stores.

He pointed out that since its establishment, Isa Town had not been equipped with storm water drainage networks.

However, the ministry has recently put in place a scheme to implement a storm water drainage network that suits the geographical nature of Isa Town, being an internal town far from the coast.

Eighty-three locations have been shortlisted, 24 of which have been handled, while 11 are in tendering process, 24 in the design phase and 27 are being studied and inspected, said the report.

All roads projects implemented in Isa Town also include storm water drains, it added.-TradeArabia News Service