Thumamah Road Eastern Section Diversion Starts in Riyadh

Drivers in the Saudi capital should note that a traffic diversion is now active on the eastern section of Thumamah Road in Riyadh, part of an 8 km development project designed to raise the road's capacity to more than 200,000 vehicles

Starting 12 September 2026, traffic at the Thumamah Road–Al-Sahabah Road intersection has been shifted onto the parallel northern road, which offers three lanes in each direction. A dedicated service lane keeps access open to adjacent buildings while a bridge, a tunnel and an at-grade intersection are built at the site.

The eastern section project includes three bridges, three tunnels and four major intersections at Airport Road, Saeed bin Zaid Road, Sheikh Hassan bin Hussein bin Ali Road and Al-Sahabah Road. Alternative routes and directional signage have been prepared under an integrated traffic management plan, coordinated with the relevant authorities to protect road-user safety and keep traffic flowing.

The works fall within the wider Riyadh Main and Ring Road Axes Development Program, with completion of the eastern section targeted for 2028. At the middle section, construction has begun on a roughly 850-metre tunnel on Thumamah Road and four flyovers totalling about 2,000 metres at the Othman Bin Affan Road intersection, where detours were scheduled to be activated on 16 April 2026.

No tolls, permits or special procedures are required from drivers to use the diverted routes. For project inquiries, a unified contact number 19998 is available. Motorists are advised to follow the posted signs and plan for extra travel time while construction continues.

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