During a recent media tour, the Mayor of Amman, Engineer Omar Maani, followed up on the progress of Al Shmeisani intersection project, on which work started at the beginning of this year, at a cost of JOD 22 million.
Eng. Maani reaffirmed that the project will admirably serve the region in terms of practicality, pointing out that the project will play an important role in easing traffic congestion in Amman, and containing the traffic increase, as this project is estimated to have an absorptive capacity of 20 thousand cars.
Additionally, the Mayor explained that the problem of traffic detours would be solved by next September, after the second phase of the project is completed and the old tunnel is open to public use. He added that any new detours would be limited to the project adjacent area.
Eng. Maani predicted that the entire project should be completed by October 2010, coinciding with the completion of the Jabal ‘Arafat intersection project. Along these lines, the Mayor praised the citizens’ understanding of the importance of the project which is to include 4 levels and is the largest of its kind in the Kingdom; he also commended their adherence to the traffic detours, and the tireless efforts of traffic officers.
Eng. Maani thanked those who are executing the project in accordance with the architectural developments and revival the region is witnessing nowadays.
It is worth noting that the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) recently completed first stage concrete works on Al Shemeisani intersection, which included establishing a tunnel that branch off the existing tunnel (Al Mukhabarat Tunnel) in the direction of Al Ameen Street and the Ministry of Industry and Trade Street.
According to the Deputy City Manager for Public Works, Eng. Fawzi Mas’ad, 20 percent of the project was completed, and work is currently underway on the second phase of the project at a cost of JOD 3 million 600 thousand; the second phase is expected to be completed by the end of next September. “The second phase of the project is the most important, as it includes implementing concrete works and laying foundations for the two bridges which the project will encompass,” he stated.
Eng. Fawzi Mas’ad added that the second phase also includes re-establishing 140 meters of the old tunnel, and rehabilitating the tunnel’s ceiling to implement the new bridge which is located along Queen Noor Street. He explained that the next phase of the project will take 6 months to be completed, and will include establishing and constructing concrete foundations for the first project’s 2 bridges; the first bridge will be along Suleiman Al Nabilsi Street, and the second along Queen Noor Street.
Furthermore, a small bridge will be established for incoming traffic from the Fourth Circle and the project’s roundabout towards Suleiman Al Nabilsi Street. The project will include establishing a turn on the Ministry of Industry and Trade intersection, allowing traffic from Al ‘Abdali region towards the Fourth Circle to turn before the Ministry of Industry and Trade intersection bridge, back to Queen Noor Street.
Additionally, the project will include establishing a rainwater drainage system, and lighting works for the tunnels, bridges, and roundabout, in addition to rehabilitation on the rest of the old bridge, and cosmetic and complementary work on the roundabout and project area.
