In response to the directives of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister to develop urgent solutions to ease traffic flow across the Kingdom, the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning has completed construction works to develop Avenue 41 between 4109 and 4103 in the Isa Town's Educational District.
The Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, HE Engineer Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf noted that the project being worked on is in line with the framework that aims at achieving Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030. HE added that the Kingdom aims to reach international standards when it comes to its infrastructure, and this can be achieved by expanding the Kingdom's road network. HE further added that the development of the Kingdom's road networks enhances its investment environment and thus will contributes to the advancement of the Kingdom's economic progress.
The improvement will ease the flow of traffic heading to or coming from the Educational District towards Sheikh Salman Highway. The project includes the reconstruction of the avenue into a two-lane street with two tracks in each direction carrying traffic on Sheikh Salman Highway to the 4013 kilometer-long road. The project will provide a central island and sidewalks, a rainwater drainage network, lighting, improvement of road traffic signs necessary for road safety, as well as the development of ground channels use by the services to avoid future asphalt cracking.
The number of vehicles using the current street reach 10,000 per day in both directions, at a rate of 2,000 vehicles per hour during peak times. The improvement works will double the intake capacity of the street and increase the traffic flow by 70%.
The development of Avenue 41 is part of the Government's comprehensive programme of improvements to the roads within the Educational District. The developments in the Educational District started last year, part of the first optimisation package. These works were followed by the opening of a new access road to the Educational District from Shaikh Salman Highway, and are part of the urgent solutions projects of the first optimization package.
HE Eng. Essam noted that this vital project will facilitate traffic flow in the Educational District, which currently sees bottlenecks during peak periods, connect incoming traffic flow between Bahrain Polytechnic College (BP) and Bahrain Training Institute (BTI), and regulate entry from the main gates overlooking the Ministry of Information. The project will also connect the traffic between Avenue 16 December and Shaikh Salman Highway by expanding the street into a two-directional road, improving key intersections, and expanding roundabouts.
These projects constitute part of the comprehensive development plan to develop the Kingdom's transport network launched by the Ministry last year. The road works, which are being funded by the GCC Development Programme are worth 1.2bn USD, and is expected to further develop Bahrain's road network, ongoing urbanization, residential development projects, and exponential population growth.
