With the reopening of the schools after the spring vacation, there was heavy traffic congestion in the area owing to road works as part of Ali bin Abi Talib Street Development Project (Part 1).
However, with some positive steps taken, the traffic movement in the area has improved remarkably, according to an Ashghal statement.
Besides on Ali bin Abi Talib Street, development works are also taking place as part of Al Qafila and Al Maahed Streets development projects in the area.
The traffic reorganisation included diverting traffic on Ali bin Abi Talib Street to the service road during the project and keeping two lanes open in each direction, which is the same original number of lanes that were open to traffic before the works started. All schools' entrances in the area remained open.
Measures initiated to enhance traffic flow included opening of Al Maahed Roundabout completely for traffic, removal of the artificial speed humps on the lanes which are open on Ali bin Abi Talib Street, recalibration of traffic signals at Al Rawabi and Khalifa Al Attiya Intersections to enhance traffic flow on Ali bin Abi Talib Street, maintenance works on Ali bin Abi Talib Street and approaching schools officials in the area to discussing their suggestions to ensure easy and safe access for students and parents to schools, and keeping them updated regarding the project.
This is in addition to having an Ashghal engineer on site to respond to questions and remarks of the residents and visitors of the area.
It was necessary to start working on this project quickly and without delay given the traffic congestion the area is witnessing. When completed, this project is expected to enhance traffic flow greatly by increasing the number of lanes on Ali bin Abi Talib and Al Qafila streets, increasing the road capacity by 30%, in addition to converting Al Qafila and Al Maahed roundabouts to signal-controlled intersections, which would improve traffic flow significantly.
Ashghal said it would take no less than 11 months to complete the work. "However in active co-ordination with the contractors, maximum efforts would be made to reduce the time for completing the project," said one of its officials.
Works taking place on Ali Bin Abi Talib Street.
In response to the appeal from the public, effective steps were taken by Ashghal for better traffic diversions on Ali bin Abi Talib Street in New Slata.
