The following is KUNA's economic report as part of FANA's economic file
By Fawaz Karami
KUWAIT, July 3 (KUNA) -- Sheikh Jaber Bridge is a mammoth Kuwaiti and Arab development project that would have development and economic impacts on Kuwait and neighboring countries.
The bridge, which is considered the world's fourth longest bridge, would positively affect several Arab countries, primarily Iraq and Syria.
Generally speaking, a bridge cannot only act as a geographical connection but also a link for development, welfare and prosperity.
Sheikh Jaber Bridge would link Kuwait City to the future Silk Road project, which, in turn, would be a significant development landmark in the region, benefitting as many as 140 million people in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran.
In May, Kuwait inaugurated the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Project, one of the country's massive projects going down in history as the fourth longest bridge worldwide, used as part of Kuwait's 2035 vision of a residential and investment boom in the northern region.
Sheikh Jaber Bridge shortens the distance between Kuwait City and Subiya area, initially driving 104 kilometers in 90 minutes, to a shortcut of about 37.5 kilometers in less than 30 minutes.
The bridge starts from the intersection of Al-Ghazali Highway with Jamal Abdel Nasser Street at the port of Shuwaikh to Al-Subiya Highway ending at the new Al-Subiya City at northern Al-Joun.
Construction works started on November 3, 2013 and were divided into two parts: the first one (Al-Subiya link) costed KD 738 million (approximately USD 2.4 billion), covering a low 27-kilometer height bridge, with the main bridge for ships passing to Al-Doha port, across a shipping lane passage that is 120 meters wide, a navigational opening that is 23 meters high.
The second part includes a 4.7 kilometer long Doha highway, with five 725-meter high bridges and a 7.7-kilometer-long sea bridge, three traffic lanes and a safety lane in each direction costing KD 165.7 million (about USD 544 million).
The sea bridge starts from the port of Shuwaikh to the west and passes beside Umm Al-Namel Island to Doha area and then connects to the Doha Highway.
The bridge was built with over 1,500 pillars, width of about three meters and some of them with a depth of 72 meters at the sea bottom, and the height of the sea is between 9-23 meters.
The project contains the construction of two artificial islands, the first near Kuwait City and the second near the town of Subiya to provide maintenance, emergency services and coast guards patrolling the bay leading to the coast of a length of six kilometers.
Environmentally aware, the utmost structural techniques are applied in order to protect the marine environment in compliance with the standards and regulations implemented studiously by Kuwait's Environment Public Authority (EPA). (end) fnk.mt