The Jeddah Mayoralty says it will open for a trial period two road intersection projects which are still under construction – the King Fahd Road (Sittin)-Gharnata Street overpass and the Sittin Road-Prince Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz Street (Al-Tahliya) tunnel – within six weeks. “Asphalting and other works are under way in preparation for it,” said Deputy Mayor for Construction and Projects Eng. Alawi Somait. Somait said the two projects are aimed at tackling traffic congestion at King Fahd Road and are among several similar projects the mayoralty is planning to carry out at main intersections in the city. Other projects include King Fahd Road's intersections at Al-Rawdah, Sari, and Hira' streets. The Director General of Overpasses and Tunnels at the Mayor's Office, Eng. Saeed Bafuhaid, said the execution of the projects to be opened on a trial basis took 42 months. The Sittin's Gharnata overpass is 800 meters long and 23 meters wide with three lanes in both directions – north and south. Al-Tahliya tunnel is 470 meters long and 29 meters wide, also with three lanes in each direction. The covered part of the tunnel is 111 meters long, Bafuhaid said. He added that improvements will be carried out in the area between the two projects, including pavements, lighting and asphalting.
