King Fahd Causeway expansion planned

The number of immigration lanes on the King Fahd Causeway could be increased to 45 in both directions within the next five years to meet an anticipated rise in the amount of two-way traffic, officials said on Saturday.

A $260,000 study is being completed as part of a long-term strategy to help the King Fahd Causeway Authority plan for significant increases in commercial and passenger traffic by 2020 on the bridge, which connects Saudi Arabia with the island of Bahrain.

Saleh Al Khlewi, general manager of the Saudi finance ministry's customs division, told Bahrain’s Gulf Daily News the study was due to be completed in two months.

At the same time the minister announced that 24-hour lanes for trucks had been opened on the 22-year-old causeway in a bid to cut waiting times following months of complaints about massive congestion, blamed on a large surge in traffic and tougher restrictions on commercial transport.