MADINAH — The Transport Ministry has blamed the presence of high voltage electricity power lines, telephone lines and water pipelines for the long delay in the execution of the Hijrah Road project. However, Abdullah Al-Ahmady, director general of roads in the Madinah region, stressed that construction works would continue until the middle of next Hijrah year to complete the project. He said the road project is being implemented in two stages. The first phase was completed during last Ramadan at a cost of SR108.3 million. The second phase, which is to cost SR152.7 million, will be completed by the end of April 2017, he added. Speaking about the first phase, the director general said it included construction of a bridge, a 2.6 km-long support wall, a flyover at the intersection of Prince Sultan Road and two flyovers at the roundabout toward Madinah and Makkah. He said the first phase was implemented by one of the leading Saudi contracting companies. "We have shifted some of the utility services that blocked the project," he pointed out. "The second phase began on Nov. 2 and will be completed in 30 months," the director general told Al-Madinah Arabic daily. "We have completed a big portion of the rainwater drainage system, which is part of the second phase," he explained. Al-Ahmady commended Madinah Emir Prince Faisal Bin Salman's support to the project, adding that it helped remove many of the obstacles that stood in its way. "We have also instructed the contractor to complete the work quickly." The Transport Ministry, he said, is now in the process of acquiring land for the project to construct a parallel road. Traffic has been diverted to another road two months ago after consulting the traffic department, Madinah Municipality and Madinah Development Authority, the director general said, adding that the new road has been provided with safety arrangements. Al-Madinah Arabic daily published a report last month highlighting the difficulties being faced by citizens and residents as a result of the delayed Hijrah Road project. Saudis frequenting the road said eight years have passed since the start of the project, which causes traffic bottlenecks. The paper had published another report showing disappearance of workers and equipment from the site, indicating further delay in the project. A field committee set up on the directives of Prince Faisal has allayed fears of citizens and residents and reported the project's progress especially after removing its obstacles. Mohammed Madani Al-Ali, adviser to Prince Faisal and chairman of the committee, said the committee has been presenting its periodic report to the emir, making proposals to complete the project in time.
