Bahraini authorities have completed a key link to the Northern Town project, which involved the construction of a 1.2-km-long road with four lanes on each direction, connecting Janabiya-Budaiya Interchange to the new town.

The scope of work included the development of a road leading to the Northern Town and which consists of eight lanes, said a statement from the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning.

It is aimed at linking Northern Town to the roads network of the kingdom, where the internal roads are to be implemented by the Housing Ministry, while the main roads surrounding Northern Town, all entrances and exits will be implemented by the Works Ministry, it stated.

The first and main link to Northern Town from the western side is seen as a vital project, as it will connect the new town to Janabiya and Budaiya Interchange, said the statement.

Announcing the project completion, Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf said the work involved the construction of a 1.2-km-long road with 4 lanes on each direction.

"The road included a 135-m-long bridge above the marine channel, therefore providing a smooth traffic flow and increasing the road capacity," he stated.

The scope of work also included installation of safety barriers, pedestrian barriers, signage, lighting, implementing stormwater drainage channels, extending sewerage and treated water lines besides providing special tracks on both sides of the highway for other service networks like water, electricity and telecommunications, and afforestation works.

According to him, the western entrance to the Northern Tower has the capacity to accommodate 16,000 vehicles per hour daily; which is around 30 per cent of the population in the area.

"This aims to cope with the present population and serve the completed housing units. Fifteen housing units are expected to be constructed, which calls for the construction of new entrances to the area," explained Al Khalaf.

The Works Ministry is presently following up the technical issues related to the construction of the Eastern access to Northern Town, in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing. The eastern entrance will soon link Saar roundabout to Northern Town.

The project comprises expansion of Avenue 36 to a dual road with four lanes, revamping all intersections along the road and connecting it to the western entrance of North Town.

The ministry is also preparing the detailed designs for the expansion of Budaiya Highway to three lanes and replacing the roundabout with traffic signals and constructing a service road along the highway to increase safety levels, said Al Khalaf.

Detailed designs for expanding Janabiya Highway into three lanes are also underway, in addition to revamping Jasra Interchange to create a signal-free interchange, he added.

Last year, the ministry completed Phase One of Jasra Interchange Revamp Project and is presently working on the implementation of second phase of the project.

In addition, the detailed designs for the expansion of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Highway into four and five lanes are under way. Phase One is expected to commence in the third quarter of this year, said the ministry in its statement.

Once work on the Northern Town is completed, it is vital that all entrances to the town are completed, it added.-TradeArabia News Service