Saudi Jamrat Bridge Resumes After Pilgrims Leave
Jamrat Bridge Construction Resumes for Haj 2009
Construction Week
As the last groups of pilgrims have left the holy sites, the noise
of giant machines could be heard in Mina. The construction work of the
fifth floor in the fourth and final phase of the Jamrat Bridge project
has been resumed. The fifth floor will be allocated for the use of
pilgrims staying in buildings located in the foothills of the mountains.
Mina, the tent city, will accommodate 10 other projects that will assist the pilgrims arriving for Hajj 2009.
These projects will include: potential housing for pilgrims on the
foothills of Mina mountains; the southern railway project; improving
guidance in the holy sites; designing, planning and improving toilets;
connecting the Shabain and Muaisim areas to the entry and exit of the
Jamrat Bridge’s third floor; and connecting Al Aziziyah District to the
bridge’s fourth floor.
According to Habeeb Zain Al Abideen, undersecretary of the Ministry
of Municipal and Rural Affairs and head of the central administration
for development projects, the foothills building is aimed at increasing
the capacity of Mina to accommodate more pilgrims.
If the project will be approved, it will be connected to Arafat,
Muzdalifa and Makkah through a road network connected to the Jamrat
Bridge.
For next year’s Hajj, SAR20 million has been allocated for the
development of Arafat General Hospital. Other plans include initiating
the second phase of the Namira Hospital at an estimated cost of SR10
million and
the completed projects including the development of Mina Hospital at a
cost of SR3 million and the development of five health centers in
Arafat.
According to Khaled Marghalani, spokesman for the Health Ministry,
the ministry will begin demolishing Mina Al Wadi Hospital next week to
build a new 136-bed hospital in its place. This project will take less
than a year and the new hospital will be operational during Hajj 2009.
Designing and planning of car parking lots, reconstruction of Mina
Al-Wadi Hospital, drainage of rainwater through the foothills of Mina’s
northern mountains, and the SAR1.5 billion rainwater drainage project
for roads linking the holy sites to Makkah, are some of the other
planned projects.
Back<<<
|
