'The city's lifeline'

Shop owners in Ramadi demand expedited completion of Al-Andalus Street project

2024-09-03 | 13:20

ANBAR– The municipality of Ramadi, Anbar province, has recently launched a project to rehabilitate Al-Andalus Street, formerly known as Al-Mustawda Street, a key thoroughfare that connects several important neighborhoods in the city.

The project, slated to take 240 days, has sparked significant concern among local shop owners, businesses, and doctors who depend on the street for their livelihoods. They fear the prolonged construction will lead to a drop in customers and increased operational costs for rent, utilities, and other expenses.

“We have started the rehabilitation project on Al-Andalus Street due to its significant role in supporting various aspects of life in the city,” Thaeer Abdul Yass, Director of Ramadi Municipality, told 964media.

The project is being conducted under the directive of the Governor of Anbar, with oversight from the deputy governor for technical affairs, and is being executed by the “Umma al-Salam” company. Work began on August 14, 2024, and is expected to last 240 days.

Ibrahim Ali, a taxi driver in Ramadi, underscored the importance of the project, stating, “The rehabilitation of the street is extremely necessary, especially since this street is a main passage for many neighborhoods in the city, connecting the main road near the old governorate, Al-Maa’riz Street, Andalus neighborhood, and Fakra Street.” He added, “I hope the project is completed as quickly as possible and with good results. The work will deprive us of movement in such a busy street, and we, as taxi drivers, depend on it for our livelihood. We have submitted demands to speed up the work.”

Abdullah Mohammed, a local shop owner, echoed these concerns, noting that while the project will ultimately improve infrastructure and attract more customers, the prolonged timeline poses significant challenges. “This street is not just a regular commercial road but represents the city’s lifeline, housing health complexes, companies, and much more,” he explained. “We cannot wait 240 days to resume our work; we will lose many customers, and on top of that, we have to pay rent, electricity, water, and internet for several months. We have work that needs to be completed quickly, and we demand that the project be expedited as we approach winter. If it is not completed quickly, our situation will be disastrous.”