The much-anticipated redevelopment of Budaiya Highway – one of Bahrain’s most crucial artery roads – remains stalled, with the area MP expressing concern over traffic congestion that he claims has been worsening by the day.
Despite earlier government announcements that work would begin in early 2025, with the 2025-2026 national budget including the BD30 million project, progress on the ground is yet to materialise.
Northern Governorate constituency one MP Dr Mahdi Al Shuwaikh stressed the importance of the project in easing traffic.
“It is already a decade since plans were first announced to make improvements, and at least 15 years since the issue was first discussed between Works Ministry officials and Northern Municipal Council members,” he said.
The Budaiya Highway, which stretches approximately 13km from Burhama to Salman Town, serves 22 villages and supports the rapidly expanding coastal developments.
“Traffic is alarming: at peak hours, journeys along the stretch can take up to 50 minutes – more than it takes to reach Dammam in neighbouring Saudi Arabia,” Dr Al Shuwaikh claimed.
He warned that the combination of new housing projects, booming business activity and soaring car ownerships are creating a ‘perfect storm’ of traffic woes for residents and businesses operating in the area.
“Recently the area has witnessed the building of more homes and even more businesses opening up, which just adds to the problem. It’s crazy that one of the country’s main artery roads continues to face such huge traffic jams,” he added.
The current plans for Budaiya Highway include expanding it to three lanes in each direction, eliminating existing roundabouts in favour of traffic signals, and upgrading adjacent areas to commercial zones with paved parking lots.
Authorities also plan to instal pedestrian bridges to enhance safety and accessibility for residents visiting local shops and services.
Dr Al Shuwaikh is advocating for a more ambitious solution, proposing the construction of an underpass similar to the Al Fateh Highway project.
“The modernisation plans are insufficient given the high traffic on the highway and the population surge,” he said.
“An underpass would ensure smoother flow in the long term rather than quick-fix solutions that could become obsolete in a few years.”
He also said that traffic on Al Nakheel Highway – an alternative route – is already heavily congested, suggesting that detours would offer little relief once the redevelopment project begins.
“Even the adjacent Al Nakheel Highway is so crowded that when work finally begins, it will be disastrous,” he added.
Currently the Budaiya Highway’s capacity is 140,000 vehicles per day – a figure expected to rise as new residential and commercial projects open along the stretch.
The planned upgrades cover 6.7km, focusing initially on the section between the Burgerland Roundabout and Salman Town, funded through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development as part of a broader $10 billion GCC financial support package for Bahrain.
Dr Al Shuwaikh called on the authorities to act before congestion brings the entire northern road network to a grinding halt.
“Budaiya Highway revamp is a priority and there should be no more delays, and no more excuses,” said Dr Al Shuwaikh.
Works Minister Ibrahim Al Hawaj earlier acknowledged the complexity of the project during a discussion in Parliament.
“Revamps to Budaiya Highway take time due to the complicated nature of the road, the need to purchase or replace private property and to relocate government services like underground electricity and telecom cables – all while maintaining traffic flow,” the minister explained.
Meanwhile, Northern Municipal Council constituency three councillor Mohammed Al Dossary said there was nothing tangible on-site even though land acquisition processes have been completed and the project has been included in the tendering process.
“The longer the delay, the harder it gets,” he said.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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