JEDDAH: Some residents and business owners of Al-Nuzha District here have criticized the local municipality's contractor for allegedly haphazard and poorly-planned construction carried out in their area which have resulted in badly damaged roads leading to their homes and shops. The contractor has denied the allegations. The homeowners claimed it is difficult to access their homes on the badly damaged roads, while the businessmen alleged some of them had to close down their businesses because customers could not get to their shops. Drivers are now avoiding the service roads around the Hera Street intersection with Emir Majed Street because of the potholes left after the overpass construction, they claimed. The residents and shop owners claimed that they have been suffering for more than six months. They complained that the contractor damaged the route and never came back to fix up the road with asphalt. Rajab Al-Zahrani, an Al-Nuzha District resident, said he suffered from the terrible service road that leads to his house for more than six months. “They opened it for road users without completing all the important facilities and they never provided us with alternative roads to our houses,” he said. Al-Zahrani said this situation reflects badly on the image of the country. Saudi Gazette spoke to the project manager, who agreed to comment without being identified by name. “We came to asphalt the service roads many times but the problem is that residents are not helping us by draining their sewage tanks. They have let them overflow and ruin the newly-asphalted roads,” said the manager. He said it is very time-consuming and his company cannot afford re-asphalting the roads every time. He added that the company's contract with the municipality did not include provision of a drainage system, except for rain water. The drainage system cannot handle both rain and sewage, he added.
