Riyadh road revamp confusing motorists

Riyadh is currently undergoing massive transformation, with detours giving way to new roads and underpasses.
The skyline is also changing, with more high-rise buildings being built.
“If you have not been driving around the city, you’ll be lost at the rerouted traffic. There are detours to give way for the construction of new roads and tunnels,” said Ghasi Al-Abassi, secretary-general of the Saudi Council of Engineers.
“Whats happening is a total Riyadh facelift,” said Jun R. Anayon, design head and associate partner at Eram Consulting Engineers. “The ongoing development on transportation and utility projects is massive and synchronized with residential development.”
“For many of us, what’s happening is an obstruction, even though we know that the flow of traffic will greatly improve by the end of it,” he said.
Eller B. Mendoza, architect and project coordinator at the Al-Afaq Consulting Est., is all too aware of the necessity of constructing new roads.
“The detours have inconvenienced many residents, especially drivers who are not used to driving around the city at night,” he said.
“I had tried to get to a district in Riyadh’s old area with my family last Sunday, but simply could not reach the place,” he said. “I suddenly lost all sense of direction. The route I knew was gone because of the detour along the King Abdullah Road extension.”
“The road was rerouted toward King Saud University (KSU). Somewhere down the road, we took a u-turn and drove straight ahead, but I could not see the road I used to take in going to Diriyah,” he said.
“I could not stop to inquire because there was no place where to park,” he said. “The lesson I got was that I should drive around the city once in a while to be updated on rerouted traffic.”
Work is also ongoing at an underpass project along Sitteen Street in the Malaz district. The road along Takhasussi Street near the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSH & RC) is also undergoing construction.
Buildings and houses are being constructed all over the city, said Mendoza.
“The King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), comprising several high-rise buildings, will be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, construction projects undertaken in the capital city,” he said.