Field survey on Bahrain’s roads launched

Manama, May 1 (BNA): Roads Projects and Maintenance Director at the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Raed Al-Salah said the ministry is hosting a team from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Transport to carry out a field survey on Bahrain’s roads network. The two-week survey is conducted in collaboration with the Ministry’s Roads Projects and Maintenance Directorate’s team of engineers. The survey is conducted on an annual basis, using special tools equipped with cameras and laser sensors, he added. The tools assess the roughness and clefts on paving layers (asphalt layers). All data collected are then compared to the global standards to ensure compatibility with such specifications and measures. According to Al-Salah, such annual tests help the directorate and decision makers at the Ministry to prioritize roads maintenance programs on the right time, in which case the maintenance cost is always less than when signs for maintenance are detected. Based on the tests, damaged and deteriorated roads are enlisted in the regular maintenance schedule in order to increase their capacity and life cycle. Al Salah extended thanks to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Transport’s technical team for their support and to the Saudi Minister of Transport Abdulla bin Abdul Rahman Al-Mogbil for his efforts and contribution to the annual road survey.