A new underpass is being constructed here to ease the flow of traffic. The SR191 million project which will connect King Abdullah Highway in Dhahran to Makkah Road will take 18 months to complete, Hussain Al-Balushi, Public Relations Manager in Dammam Municipality, told Saudi Gazette. Pending construction of the new underpass, the road along King Abdullah Highway and the one connecting Makkah Road have been closed since Monday. The closure of these roads is causing problems for thousands of motorists although authorities have made proper road diversions and installed temporary signals on parallel roads. Police are also monitoring the traffic flow and controlling signals manually during the peak hours to reduce traffic congestion. The highway is the main connecting road from Al-Khobar leading to King Fahd International Airport, Saudi Aramco, King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals, King Faisal University, first and second industrial cities and various schools and shopping malls. Authorities issued a circular along with diversion maps of the roads prior to closure of the highway.
