New Thumamah Road bridge in Riyadh opens to traffic on Friday

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has announced that the main works on the new Thumamah Road bridge are complete. The bridge, at the junction with Prince Mohammed bin Salman Road, opens to drivers at 6am on Friday 9 October.

The bridge is about 400 metres long and 20 metres wide. It carries six main lanes, three in each direction, plus four service lanes, two in each direction. The service lanes are meant to keep local traffic apart from through traffic and ease pressure on the junction.

Work started on 1 April 2026 after the old bridge was removed, and took about six months. The commission said structural sections weighing more than 3,200 tonnes were lifted into place above Prince Mohammed bin Salman Road while traffic kept moving, next to the Riyadh Metro pillars.

The bridge is expected to improve east to west movement along Thumamah Road and access to King Abdullah Financial District and nearby neighbourhoods. It is one part of a 24 km upgrade of Thumamah Road, from Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Road to King Khalid Road, which includes 17 bridges, 10 tunnels and 3 junctions. Work continues at the King Abdulaziz Road junction and other sites.