Riyadh’s $1.6 billion road upgrade deals takes shape as the municipality signs five contracts to improve roads in the Saudi capital. Furthermore, this endeavor aims to reduce traffic accidents, which are above the global average. This has acted as a positive push towards working on roads and the transport industry. The contracts entail rehabilitating and asphalting 83 million square meters of road network over five years, in time for Riyadh’s hosting of the 2030 World Expo, which will bring international attention to the city.
Furthermore, Riyadh is at the center of Saudi Arabia’s economic development plans as the host of three giga-projects. The historical district of Diriyah, the new downtown area of New Murabba, and the sports and entertainment city of Qiddiya. Being the center of economic development, it is set to benefit from such projects. “These upgrades will improve road quality, ensure safe mobility and bring the city’s infrastructure up to international standards,” an official statement said.
Project Factsheet
Location: Riyadh Municipality
Country: Saudi Arabia
Significance: To ensure safer commuting and reduce traffic
Project duration: 3-4 Years
Cost of Phase: U.S. $1.6 Billion
The Scope of Riyadh’s $1.6 Billion Road Upgrade Deals
The scope of work includes rehabilitation and asphalting of the road network, covering nearly 83 million sq m of area over a five-year period. These upgrades will improve road quality, ensure safe mobility, and bring the city’s infrastructure up to international standards, with work expected to continue until 2028 in collaboration with various relevant authorities. Riyadh’s $1.6B road upgrade involves:
- 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. It also includes four lanes for the main road in each direction and three lanes for the service road in each direction. The road also entails the implementation of 10 main intersections and the construction of 32 bridges.
- Building two bridges parallel to the Wadi Laban Suspension Bridge and developing the intersection of the western ring road with Jeddah Road. The road will cover a length of four kilometers which includes the implementation of two bridges parallel to the current suspension bridge. It also entails the construction of four bridges at the intersection of the western ring road with Jeddah Road.
- Implementation of the project to develop the western part of Al-Thumama Road Axis, with a length of six kilometers, extends from King Khalid Road in the west to King Fahd Road in the east.
- 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
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The significance of the project
Riyadh’s $1.6B road upgrade aims to elevate the municipality’s standing according to international road quality standards. It also seeks to enhance the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of services. Furthermore, in an effort to improve mobility and create a vibrant Riyadh that meets the highest standards of efficiency and sustainability, the municipality indicated it will divide the city into five zones, north, south, east, west and central. This will prioritize work based on specific criteria derived from a comprehensive survey of Riyadh’s roads using advanced technologies.
The main aim being to ensure safer commuting, using an approach that will consider the current road quality safety standards. It will also facilitate maintenance needs, and coordination with other city departments. The first set of projects has already commenced, involving the construction and improvement of over 500 kilometers of the city’s road network. The initial phase of the program is anticipated to take between 3 and 4 years to complete.
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