Work has started on the Busaiteen Exit Extension linked to Shaikh Isa bin Salman Causeway in Bahrain in bid to alleviate traffic congestion along 11 locations in North Muharraq area of the kingdom, said a statement from the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning.

The project, to be completed over two phases, will see alternative access and exit points along Ghous Highway and the Airport Highway, it stated.

Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf said the implementation of the project follows directives from HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister to alleviate traffic congestion along 11 locations over two phases, until other mega development projects take place as part of $1.2 billion development projects included within the GCC Development Programme.

By implementing such projects, the ministry will adopt quick solutions to alleviate traffic congestions along some intersections over two stages, the first of which will contain 6 projects and the second stage will contain 5 projects. The projects are funded by the Ministry’s budget for 2015-2016, explained Al Khalaf.

The project, he stated, will see the completion of construction of Road 2841 as a single road with one lane on each direction at a length of 2,317km; parallel to Ghous Highway and connected to the present exit along Sheikh Isa bin Salman Causeway, thus alleviating traffic congestions and providing smooth traffic flow in the area in general and in Saya in particular.

The extension will also allow residents to exit the area directly along Sheikh Isa Causeway towards Manama and thus reduce trip time, he added.

"Once completed, the capacity of the road will become 1,200 vehicles per hour, thus attracting part of the traffic travelling along Ghous Highway and will also reduce congestion by 20 per cent," said Al Khalaf.

"It is expected that 306 vehicles will travel along the road during the morning peak hour while 400 vehicles will use the same road during the afternoon peak hour and 225 vehicles per hour during evening time," he added.

In another development, the ministry said 80 per cent of the work has been completed at the A3 Storm Water Drainage Network Project, which aims to serve eight blocks in Muharraq and two blocks in Manama.

The scope of work includes extension of 3.805km-long main connections, constructing 35 inspection chambers, 239 storm water collection points and 28 storm water collection chambers to serve Block 236 in Samaheej, Block 226 in Busaiteen, Block 233 in Dair, Blocks 202, 210 and 2016 in Muharraq, Block 244 in Arad, Block 341 in Juffair and Block 359 in Zinj, stated Nazha Abo Hindi, the sanitary engineering planning and projects director at the ministry.

The BD479,489 ($1.26 million) project was awarded to Arad Contracting Company, she added.-TradeArabia News Service