Work on assembling Bahrain's longest flyover officially began on Tuesday.

It is being built using the latest technology, including a giant launcher to haul precast sections into place on top of bridge supports.

It will cover a distance of nearly 1.8km and branches into two small flyovers, with the eastern part covering a distance of 884 metres and the western covering 905 metres.

The flyover will be assembled from 733 precast segments, each weighing 190 tonnes.

They will be built on site and put into place by the first machine of its kind, called a Launching Girder, which uses a giant gantry to align the segments.

The first segment was mobilised electronically on Tuesday by Works Minister Fahmi Al Jowder, using a remote control at a ceremony at the work site in Isa Town, signalling the beginning of assembly.

He was accompanied by ministry officials and officials from Bahrain-based project consultants Hyder Consulting and the main contractor, South Korean giant Sungwon Corporation.

The project will cost around BD41 million ($108.7 million) and will take a little more than 29 months to finish ahead of the original 33-month schedule, said officials.

It will accommodate traffic from the former Bahrain Gas Roundabout area (Salmabad roundabout) on Shaikh Salman Highway to Al Estiqlal Highway and vice versa.

A 588-metre long underpass will be built to accommodate traffic from the Bahrain Gas Roundabout to and from A'ali.

The Isa Town Gate Roundabout will be turned into a three-level junction with a traffic light under the flyover and on top of the underpass, to control traffic coming from the Labour Ministry area.

'The goal of this huge strategic project is to solve the traffic jams witnessed at the Isa Town Gate Roundabout and all surrounding routes,' said Al Jowder.

'We are using the latest technology to help finish work fast without affecting the traffic flow in the area.

'There are some delays in individual work phases, but overall the project will finish 3.5 months ahead of schedule, after an alternative design was approved.

'We have completed 10pc of the project and are now working to increase the work rate.

'There will be traffic jams as schools begin and with Ramadan next month, but the ministry will work closely with the General Directorate of Traffic to deal with the problem.'

The Isa Town Gate will be replaced by a new gate that has the same shape and features as the old one. It will be moved to a new location 100 metres east of the current one, by the end of December.

The old gate will be destroyed after placing the new one by December. - TradeArabia News Service