SAFETY concerns have emerged over Bahrain’s newly-opened Jasra Flyover after municipal councillors raised the alarm over what they believe could be a possible ‘kink in the road’ flaw contributing to repeated vehicle accidents on the elevated turn.
The issue has now been formally taken up by the Northern Municipal Council, which is requesting advice from the Works Ministry over a noticeable concentration of crash marks appearing along one section of the flyover – despite the structure opening only a few months ago.
Area councillor Mohammed Al Dossary said the problem appears to lie in the final section of the curved flyover connecting Al Janabiya Highway to Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Highway.
“The curve does not continue smoothly all the way through,” said Mr Al Dossary. “There appears to be a buckle or uneven transition towards the end of the crescent, and that is exactly where you can see repeated tyre and crash markings.”
He warned that although the speed limit on the flyover is set at 50kmph, many motorists are entering the section at significantly higher speed and many lose control when
suddenly encountering the irregular curve.
“We are not accusing anyone at this stage, but the public deserves an explanation. A newly-built bridge should not already be showing repeated signs of vehicles hitting barriers,” he added.
A visit by journalists from the GDN and our sister Arabic publication Akhbar Al Khaleej found visible impact markings concentrated at the same point highlighted in the complaint, where drivers reported feeling a noticeable non-smooth shift while navigating the bend.
The flyover forms part of a major traffic upgrade project completed by the ministry, with the 884-metre single-lane bridge designed to handle around 57,000 vehicles daily while improving traffic flow towards Manama and increasing road capacity by 33 per cent.
The council’s financial, administrative and legislative committee chairman Dr Mohsin Abdulla said the matter required urgent technical clarification. “Road safety cannot be compromised, particularly on infrastructure projects that were only recently completed and funded at considerable public expense,” said Dr Abdulla. “If there is a technical issue – however minor – it must be identified quickly before a serious accident takes place.”
Dr Abdulla stressed that public infrastructure projects are built with safety as the first priority and authorities must move quickly whenever concerns emerge.
“We are talking about a bridge that has not even completed one year since opening. It should be functioning exactly according to design standards without raising safety concerns among motorists.”
Dr Abdulla added that the council was not seeking to assign blame prematurely but wanted transparency and reassurance from engineers responsible for the project.
“If these markings are purely the result of reckless speeding, then that should be clearly stated. But if there is any engineering imperfection, even a small one, corrective action must happen immediately.”
“Many commuters use this road every single day and they deserve confidence that every metre of this flyover has been constructed to the highest safety standards possible,” he said.
The council is now awaiting a formal response from the ministry as scrutiny grows over whether one of Bahrain’s newest traffic solutions may itself need urgent fixing.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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