Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has awarded four road development contracts worth SR13 billion ($3.46 billion) as part of the first phase of the program to enhance the capital city’s transport network.

The Board of Directors of the commission announced on Thursday that the first phase of the program aims to develop the axes of the main and rings roads and link them to provide sustainable transport and logistics services in the city.

It said the road program will position the Saudi capital as one of the world's major cities, in line with Vision 2030’s objectives and prepare Riyadh to be a major center for providing sustainable transportation and logistics services in the Middle East region. Awarding contracts for the subsequent phases of the program will be announced over the coming period, the commission revealed.

The projects of the first group of this program include the following roads:

1- Construction of the second southern ring road, with a length of 56 kilometers, from the new Al-Kharj Road in the east to the Jeddah Road in the west, and includes four lanes for the main road in each direction, and three lanes for the service road in each direction. The road also includes the implementation of 10 main intersections, and the construction of 32 bridges.

2- Building two bridges parallel to the Wadi Laban Suspension Bridge and develop the intersection of the western ring road with Jeddah Road, with a length of four kilometers, and includes the implementation of two bridges parallel to the current suspension bridge and the construction of four bridges at the intersection of the western ring road with Jeddah Road.

3- Implementation of the project to develop the western part of Al-Thumama Road Axis, with a length of six kilometers, and extends from King Khalid Road in the west to King Fahd Road in the east.

4- Implementation of the project to extend the Taif Road in the Laban neighborhood to the Qiddiya project, with a length of 16 kilometers, and extends from the western end of the Taif Road in the Laban neighborhood in the east to the Qiddiya project.

In order to maintain the highest degree of traffic flow on the roads that will witness the implementation of these projects, the RCRC has developed a plan to manage traffic diversions on these roads, in partnership with the relevant authorities in the city.

It is noteworthy that the Riyadh Main Ring Roads Development Program was announced by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, who is also chairman of the Board of Directors of RCRC, and the implementation of its first group of projects has begun. This includes implementation and development of more than 500 kilometers of the city’s road network. The implementation period of the projects of the first phase of the program is expected to range between 3 to 4 years.