Road Network Development in Riyadh Worth $3.5B

Construction has started on the development of Riyadh’s road network. According to the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC). On August 15, Thursday, the commission shared details about the project, named the Riyadh Ring Road and Main Axes Development Program.

“The Royal Commission for Riyadh City announces the start of implementing four projects at a cost exceeding 13 billion riyals within the “Program for Developing the Main Ring Roads in Riyadh,” the tweet read.

Enhancing and connecting roads

RCRC also noted that the project will develop 500 kilometers of networks. Their objective is to improve the transportation system and connect active parts of the metropolis. This will be done by enhancing existing highways while building new ones and linking these to one another.

The commission will be executing the project in four phases, with the first phase developing Riyadh’s main and ring thoroughfares. The first of four phases will extend a second southern ring lane by 56 kilometers from the new Al-Kharj Road. These will include four lanes for the main thoroughfare in all directions and three lanes for the service pathways in each direction. Moreover, these will feature 10 main intersections and 32 bridges.

The second of the four phases will focus on constructing two bridges parallel to the Wadi Laban Bridge. At the same time, RCRC will build a four-kilometer intersection on Jeddah Road and a western ring thoroughfare.

Meanwhile, the third of the four phases will work on the western portion of the Al-Thumama Road axis. This will span six kilometers from King Khalid in the west to the King Fahd in the east.

The final and fourth phase entails extending the Taif Road in the Laban neighborhood by 16 kilometers. In this manner, this will reach the Qiddiya project. In addition, RCRC will also construct a main bridge measuring 0.5 kilometers.

An integrated urban environment

The most notable of the project’s thoroughfares are the King Fahd Road and the First Ring Road. The capacity of these two will increase. Other notable ones include the Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah and the Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz I roads. The Imam Abdullah bin Saud bin Abdulaziz and the Najm Al-Din Al-Ayyubi roads will also undergo development. In addition are the Al-Thumama Road axis, the Dirab Road, Jeddah Rpad, and the Prince Mishaal bin Abdulaziz Road.

The RCRC will be considering the network as an “integrated urban environment.” Apart from the construction of new thoroughfares, it will also make paths that promote safe access for pedestrians and cyclists. They will increase the amount of green spaces and create tree cover through afforestation.

Photo by Datingscout on Unsplash