Key section of Tahlia underpass opens

With the new Tahlia-Makarona underpass thrown open to commuters on Wednesday, the routine traffic bottle-necks seem to be a thing of the past. Travel time from Sitten Bridge to Sabaeen Street, which used to take more than half an hour during rush hour, now takes just a few minutes.
Obviously, commuters are a happy lot now with the opening of the underpass.
Sayed Ahmed, a motorist who uses the Tahlia Street regularly, said he lives in Sabaeen (also called Amir Majed Street). “Prior to the opening of the underpass, I had to take a detour, which was always jam-packed, particularly after the advent of Ramadan. Now with the opening of this underpass, I am happy since I don’t have to wait for long periods in traffic jams and can reach home early. I would like to thank the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for these bridges and underpasses which make life easier for Jeddah residents,” he said.
Abdul Mohsin, a Saudi national, said that with the opening of Sabaeen–Tahlia underpass along with Arbaeen flyover earlier, coupled with the opening of the new underpass, traffic flow should be smooth, something all motorists will appreciate.)
“After the opening of Sabaeen–Tahlia underpass, there was no perceptible improvement in traffic flow and motorists had to sweat it out for hours in their vehicles to get out of the jam-packed road,” he said.
Tanweer Hasan, another motorist, pointed out that when Sabaeen–Tahlia underpass was opened and motorists had to take detour after coming out of the underpass because of Tahlia–Macarona underpass construction, traffic congestion was at its worst.
“The situation has now improved,” he added.
Vehicles coming from Madinah Road to Tahlia Street can reach Makkah Highway in just a few minutes. The government has earmarked billions of riyals to develop and improve road infrastructure.
The tunnel at the Tahlia (Prince Mohammad bin Abdul Aziz Road) junction that links Al-Macarona Road cost over $19.2 million (SR 72 million).
In fact, 29 other underpasses and overpasses are also said to be nearing completion, with another seven road and tunnel projects costing an estimated $266.6m (SR 1bn) under construction across the city.
The projects are designed to alleviate some of the chronic traffic flow problems experienced by commuters across the city of Jeddah.