Jeddah’s bridges, tunnels ease traffic congestion

January 21, 2015

Jeddah, Jan 21: Jeddah will have a smoother traffic flow thanks to the bridges and tunnels projects the mayoralty is implementing with coordination with Jeddah traffic administration, said Zaid Al-Hamzi, spokesman for the Jeddah traffic police.

Al-Hamzi said the new projects will facilitate traffic movement and ease congestions by 70 percent.

These remarks came after the inauguration of the King Fahd (Sitteen) Road bridge across Heraa Street (White Horse Square) and Prince Sultan Bin Salman Street. The 2.5-km long and 56 meter wide bridge has a capacity of carrying 2,000 cars at the same time. With three lanes on each way of traffic, it gives the area a 100 percent flexibility and release traffic for Heraa and Prince Sultan Bin Salman streets.

Jeddah Mayor Hani Abu Ras on Sunday opened traffic on the bridge that is considered the longest in Jeddah.

Abu Ras said the mayoralty is keen on easing the traffic jams in Jeddah by implementing a series of connecting tunnels and bridges to release the traffic in the main roads and intersections, “The Jeddah mayoralty has carried out 22 projects for easing traffic congestions in the past five years, including constructing 18 bridges and 10 tunnels,” he added saying that these projects have decreased the commuting time in Jeddah.

The project is the sixth project to be implemented on the Sitteen Street (north-south) as Jeddah celebrated opening the industrial institute intersection bridge, Quraish street intersection bridge, Al-Tahlia intersection, King Abdullah road tunnel, and Gharnata street bridge.

Abu Ras said that citizens and visitors of Jeddah will celebrate the opening of a bridge at the intersection between Madinah Road and Haleema Al-Saadia Street in the upcoming month. He pointed out the King Fahd intersection bridge with Al-Rawda Street (the Bicycle Square). The bridge is a 583-meter-long,13.5-meter-wide and has three lanes for each traffic side.

The mayor added the final designs are being put to King Fahd Road tunnel at the intersection with Al-Falak and Sari streets, adding that the project will be rendered soon. The project is part of releasing traffic congestion project at the King Fahd Road (Sitteen), especially that this important road links between King Abdulaziz International Airport and Jeddah Islamic Port.

Abu Ras said work is under way for seven bridges and tunnels projects, including King Abdulaziz intersection tunnel with Palestine and Al-Hamra streets, King Fahd Road (The bicycle) intersection with Al-Rawda, Prince Majed intersection with Bani Malik road-bridge, Madinah Road and Haleema Al-Saadia intersection bridge, Prince Majed intersection tunnel and bridge with old Makkah Road, Al-Mahjar intersection bridge with Zenel and Television streets, Al-Mahjar intersection bridge with King Faisal Road (The southern Corniche).

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

Comments