KUWAIT has started construction of a new elevated motorway in the western part of its capital city which is expected to cost close to a billion dollars.

Called the Jahra Road Development Project, the elevated motorway will be one of the largest of its kind in the world, said Hussein Mansour Theyab, assistant undersecretary of roads and motorway systems at the Ministry of Public Works (MPW).

Forming part of Kuwait’s First Ring Road project, the motorway will extend from the Jahra Gate, located at the Jahra Roundabout by the Sheraton, to the United Nations Roundabout.

The project is scheduled for completion within five years and will be built at a total cost of KD264.76 million ($950.83 million) over five phases, Theyab said.

The project involves the development of a 21-km motorway, and a 1-km tunnel, in addition to an elevated 7-km motorway on viaducts, which consists of almost 8,500 precast segments to cover a total area of 38,000 cu m.

Theyab said the new motorway will play a key role in facilitating traffic flow, while servicing urban areas and developing sites.

“The Jahra Road Development Project is one of the most important projects implemented by MPW as part of its ongoing efforts to improve the state’s motorway network,” he said.

“Through this project, we aim to minimise current traffic congestions in order to address traffic needs in the future. We also aim to improve road safety standards,” he added.

Abdullateef Shamsah, an engineer at the MPW, said the main objectives of the project are to segregate bypass traffic from local traffic flow, increase Jahra Road’s capacity  for future demand, and improve facilities and safety standards.

The Jahra project includes building, construction and maintenance of roads, elevated motorways and all major utility services including sewage system, storm water drainage, electrical and telephone lines on behalf of the MPW, the project’s owner and developer. Louis Berger Group and Pan Arab Consulting Engineers are the project design and supervision consultants while the Arab Contractors Company (ACC) – Othman Ahmed Othman, is the project’s contractor.

The MPW will also be launching a website – www.jahraroad.com – for the mega project.