The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has awarded a contract for the Jeddah Road Development Project in Riyadh.

The contract was awarded to the local construction firm, Saudi Pan Kingdom (Sapac).

The scheme spans 29 kilometres (km) and includes 14 bridges and five lanes.

The road will have a capacity of up to 353,000 vehicles per day.‎

The mobilisation works are ongoing, and the project is expected to be completed by 2028.

The project forms part of the third Package of the RCRC's Riyadh Main and Ring Road Axes Development Programme, which was announced in January.

The other schemes include:

1. Taif Road Development Project: It stretches 15km and includes four bridges, each with four lanes. The project also features two tunnels. It has a capacity of up to 200,000 vehicles per day and will enhance connectivity between the southern and ‎western districts and the city centre of Riyadh.

2. Thumamah Road Development Project: The eastern section of the project will span 8km and will include three bridges and three tunnels, linking the northern and eastern parts of Riyadh. The project will have a ‎daily capacity of up to 200,000 vehicles.‎

3. King Abdulaziz Road Development Project: The northern section of the project stretches 4.7km and will have four bridges, four lanes, and one tunnel, with a capacity of up to 450,000 vehicles per day.

4. Othman bin Affan Road Development Project: The northern section will span 4.3km and includes seven bridges and other related upgrades to enhance traffic flow across northern Riyadh. The project will have a daily capacity of up to 500,000 vehicles.

5. The second phase of engineering enhancements for congested areas: This project targets eight locations across the city’s road network, where advanced engineering solutions will be applied to reduce congestion and improve intersection performance, raising the traffic capacity by 40-60%.

The contract is the latest of the high-profile deals awarded by RCRC recently. In May, it awarded an estimated SR5bn ($1.3bn) contract for the construction of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah Road project in Riyadh.

The contract was awarded to the joint venture of Riyadh-based Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting Company (RTCC) and Turkiye’s IC Ictas.

The project stretches 12 kilometres (km) from Khurais Road to Al-Thumama Road in Riyadh.

The Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah Road project is a key component of the Second Eastern Ring Road scheme. 

The project includes the construction of five interchanges: Prince Bandar interchange, King Abdullah interchange, Imam Abdullah interchange, Dammam Road interchange and Al-Thumama interchange.

In 2021, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud said the population of Riyadh would double to 15-20 million people by 2030. 

He directed government entities to work closely with the RCRC to prepare the city’s development strategy.

The RCRC’s major projects include Riyadh Metro, Riyadh Art, Sports Boulevard, King Salman International Park, Green Riyadh and several road development projects in the capital.