WORK on several vital road projects in Bahrain, aimed at easing traffic congestion, is due to start in the coming months, according Bahrain’s Works Minister Esam Khalaf.

A new interchange between Shaikh Khalifa Causeway and the Dry Dock Highway and the upgrade of the Al Fateh Highway junctions and the addition of an underpass just before the Gulf Hotel have been earmarked as priorities for the coming year. Work is also due to get under way on a flyover from the north onto Juffair’s new ring road as well as the Manama North Shore flyover and King Faisal Highway detour road.

Phase Two of the outer-loop Manama North Shore Development is another project in the pipeline, along with a new flyover near the Bahrain Gas junction in Salmabad.

Work on a number of new local roads and access lines to the new Northern Town will also soon get under way.

Khalaf said while these projects were ongoing, work would also begin on the Mina Salman interchange and the Alba and Nuwaidrat roundabouts.

"When completed, Bahrain will have two major road arteries with uninterrupted traffic flow. One will be from the Saudi Causeway entry point to Hidd industrial area and the other from the Bahrain-Qatar Causeway entry point to the Saudi Causeway, connecting two major economies in the region through Bahrain," the minister said.