Saudi Gazette report DAMMAM — Expressways have become the scenes of horrific accidents due to their lack of maintenance, claimed motorists. Citizens complained that some of these roads were too narrow and needed to be widened. Saad Al-Saloum complained of the repeated traffic jams on the expressway between Abqaiq and Dammam. The intersection of the road leading to the King Fahd Causeway with Abu Hadriah road is endangering lives, he said. Trucks frequenting the road have added to the problem, he claimed. Fayyadh Al-Dosari warned of possible disaster as trucks remain for hours on the causeway. Thiyab Al-Mari said there were visible defects at the entrance and exit of the causeway. Traffic jams below the bridge are a great obstacle for drivers coming from Abqaiq and Ahsa. In addition, trucks are very close to small family cars and pose a dangerous risk, he said. Ali Al-Ghamdi said trucks frequenting the causeway have become a great concern for motorists. Another motorist, Humood Al-Dehaiman, said the mesh wire lining the road from the Ghonan intersection to Abqaiq was useless. He added that separate lanes should be assigned to trucks. Fahad Al-Shammari said the contractor responsible for the road has removed the mesh wire fence. This has allowed camels to cross the road, especially during the rainy season, he said. Hadwan Al-Farhan said the road between Dammam and Hafr Al-Baten was dangerous. The Ministry of Transport has built six intersections on the road. The road is continually being repaired and detours are commonplace, said Al-Farhan. There were 47 traffic deaths in Abqaiq last year and 651 injuries, according to government figures. All these accidents were on the Abqaiq-Dhahran and Dammam-Riyadh roads. A number of citizens also complained of sand dunes on the road to Al-Eqair beach. Drivers sometimes have to drive on the opposite lanes to avoid the sand dunes, which can pose a risk especially at night.
