Island connection

Thile a new airport and the Bahrain/Qatar Causeway will make it easier to visit Bahrain, integrating the country's existing infrastructure to all the new developments taking place on and around the island is a different matter. Construction of the Manama Northshore, which includes its new financial district and the development of several smaller islands, means extensive realignment of existing roads and the construction of several new ones.

“We looked at how it all fitted together with the aim of creating direct links with the wider area,” said Brett Doughty, Hyder Consulting's project director, Manama Northshore Programme. “We took some out and added some. We just changed this enough to make it all work better,” he added.

Replacing and expanding the King Faisal Highway, which runs the length of the Northshore, is in four phases. Due for completion in 2013 it is a demanding task that will require reclaiming land, moving all services to an expanded corniche, the construction of a detour road and several under passes and bridges.

“The challenge,” said Mr Doughty, “is to do it in such close proximity to the existing traffic flows.”