New eight-year plan to upgrade road network in pipeline
A NEW eight-year plan to develop for Bahrain’s road network is in the pipeline.
Blueprints for future projects will be drawn up by an international consultant, Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry roads projects and maintenance director Sayed Bader Alawi told parliament yesterday.
He was speaking in an open debate with MPs on traffic congestion, during which he acknowledged that cash shortages were an obstacle due to the drop in oil revenues.
“The challenges are there with limited resources, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work on an eight-year plan that forecasts our future moves,” he said.
“The existing plan is set to be completed in months.
“I want to build roads everywhere and carry out maintenance, but I have to prioritise from a list according to a set strategy.
“Future projects will resolve a fraction of the problem, whether it is Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Highway or the Bahrain Gas junction (in Tubli) that will see a new flyover built – and we have plans on hold to expand the Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Highway from Al Farouk Junction to Bahrain University.
“We are also looking into possible ways to introduce smart transportation and there is a control room with the Interior Ministry that will be available whenever we start with phone apps, but we can’t promise an end to congestion.
“It (congestion) transfers from one place to another. As we resolve one problem, we have to address another.”
However, money from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development is expected to finance development of the educational zone in Isa Town.
“The mistake of clustering all educational establishments in one place is something that was forced upon us, but we will work on new routes as we seek funding from the UAE,” added Mr Alawi.
Meanwhile, Works Under-Secretary Ahmed Al Khayat said the ministry had plans for the short, medium and long term – pointing to 11 urgent road projects worth BD300,000 due for completion within three to six months.
“Those are short-term strategies, we have medium-term projects and things for the long-term that require huge funding,” he said. “We are expecting to resolve 35pc of traffic congestion and we are developing very fast, anyone can see we are working at numerous locations.
“We have the highest density of traffic congestion in the GCC – yet people still reach their destination faster according to studies.”
Interior Ministry Under-Secretary Shaikh Nasser bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa said the World Bank and the World Health Organisation (WHO) were seeking Bahrain’s advice on how to manage roads.
“Fatality rates in car accidents have dropped from 86 in 2015 to 50 last year,” he said.
“We don’t celebrate because the world wants to learn from us and our main aim is to change people’s discipline and attitude when using the road.”
