Bahrain, Jul 4 (Gulf Daily News) : FACILITIES at King Fahad Causeway are set to undergo a major BD2 million renovation, it has been revealed.

This is on top of a BD2.5m plan to renovate the two tower restaurants on both sides of the causeway.

The main renovation plan comes as part of an expansion scheme that was introduced last Ramadan.

The project involved increasing the number of departure lanes from 10 to 17 and the number of arrival lanes from 13 to 18 on both sides of the border.

The renovation will include establishing a commercial centre on the Bahrain side of the bridge, which links the country to Saudi Arabia, at a cost of around BD800,000.

"It will hold a number of restaurants, coffee shops, a grocery shop, telephone stalls and a shop to meet people's travel needs," said causeway authority general manager Bader Abdulla Al Otaishan.

"We saw that there was a need for such a centre to assist travellers."

Work is already underway and the centre will be complete by the first quarter of next year, he added.

A health centre is also being built on the Bahrain side to serve travellers and causeway staff.

"It will feature an emergency room and ambulance to serve whoever is using the causeway, travellers or employees," said Mr Al Otaishan.

The Saudi side will have a similar health centre established early next year, he added.

The total cost of the centres is estimated to be around BD700,000.

A security checkpoint will be set up on the Bahrain side of the causeway in accordance with the Saudi side.

It will be located at the furthest point of the Bahrain side of the causeway, costing around BD300,000.

"It will allow us to control the causeway and be able to close it if a security alert strikes," said Mr Al Otaishan.

The project will also include expanding public utilities such as toilets and the mosque on both sides of the causeway at a cost of around BD200,000, to be complete by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, two tower restaurants, which are not part of the renovation project, on both sides of the causeway will be revamped at a cost of around BD2.5m.

Mr Al Otaishan revealed tenders for the project on the Saudi side had already been approved with those on the Bahrain side set to follow shortly.

The towers will be renovated without ruining their historic resemblance, he stressed.

"An investment company or a hotel will win a contract to operate the facility," said Mr Al Otaishan."We want it to be of high standard and attract tourists without changing its design as it became a historic mark."

The overall causeway expansion project, estimated to cost more than BD6m, is part of a broader project to dramatically increase the number of lanes.

The GDN reported in September 2008 that the number of immigration lanes on the causeway could be increased to 45 in both directions within the next five years.

An anticipated surge in the amount of two-way traffic means authorities are now drawing up a long-term strategy to cope with the demand.

A BD98,000 study is being carried out to help the causeway authorities plan for significant increases in commercial and passenger traffic by 2020.

It is due to be completed in two months, according to Saudi Finance Ministry Customs Division general manager Saleh Al Khlewi.

The causeway opened in November 1986 and traffic has increased from 5,000 to 10,000 vehicles a day to around 45,000 on regular days and up to 60,000 on weekends, he said.