Baghdad replaces hazardous roundabouts with overpasses

BAGHDAD –  The Roads and Bridges Department has wrapped up a significant project aimed at replacing roundabouts on the Baghdad-Es-Suwaira highway with standard overpasses. The focus of the project was on the segment stretching from Salman Pak roundabout to the Al-Shumoos area near the Bismayah residential complex.

The initiative is part of a wider initiative to address ongoing traffic accidents plaguing the area.

According to an official from the Roads and Bridges Department, speaking to 964media, “The roundabouts along the Baghdad-Es-Suwaira route have been substituted with two sizable overpasses to ensure enhanced road safety.” The official highlighted that the project was “executed in a record time frame.”

Samir Hassan, a local driver, expressed relief, stating to 964media, “The removed roundabouts were extremely hazardous, earning the grim nickname ’roundabouts of death’ due to their location along the highway, which made turning a precarious endeavor.”

Qutaiba Abdullah, a resident of Al-Shumoos, voiced satisfaction, telling 964media, “Finally, the danger is eliminated, and we can now maneuver safely and conveniently through these overpasses, especially considering the frequent accidents that used to occur here.”

Similarly, Haqqi Ismail, a resident of Al-Nahrawan, emphasized the significance of the upgrade, stating to 964media, ” “Since it’s a highway with many trucks traveling on it, turning was very difficult and dangerous, so these overpasses came at the right time.”

The project forms a part of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s government’s broader infrastructure campaign aimed at alleviating traffic congestion within the capital. Al-Sudani’s administration has been positioning itself as a government prioritizing public services, fostering a renewed sense of optimism in Baghdad after decades marked by neglect and deteriorating infrastructure.