Riyadh Advances King Abdulaziz Road Upgrades

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City is pressing ahead with major upgrades to King Abdulaziz Road as part of the capital's Main and Ring Road Axes Development Program, a wide effort aimed at raising road capacity and removing bottlenecks on Riyadh's busiest corridors.

The northern section of the King Abdulaziz Road development stretches about 4.7 km and includes four bridges, one tunnel, and four main traffic lanes. Once complete, the section is designed to handle roughly 450,000 vehicles

The wider program's later phases cover multiple corridors and intersections across Riyadh. The third and fourth groups each carry budgets in the range of about SAR 8–10 billion, with combined capacities approaching around 950,000 vehicles Works at key junctions linked to King Abdulaziz Road include new tunnels and bridges, among them intersections tied to Al-Thumama Road and Imam Saud bin Faisal Road.

A separate project extending Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq and Al-Oruba roads features a tunnel on King Abdulaziz Road at its intersection with Al-Oruba Road, about 995 metres long, along with additional tunnels and bridges nearby to improve links between King Abdulaziz Road and the Eastern Ring Road.

What it means for residents

For daily commuters in Riyadh, the projects promise smoother traffic flow and fewer chokepoints at some of the city's most congested intersections. As of 2026, no tolls or user fees have been announced for the upgraded bridges or tunnels; the works are funded through public capital spending rather than direct charges on motorists.

Several tunnels and bridges along related corridors are under active construction during 2025–2026, with completion staged by section and intersection. Residents can follow updates through the Royal Commission for Riyadh City's official channels and contact centres, and the works do not currently require the use of any online platform.

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