The project was delayed for nearly nine months and went over budget by more than SAR 10M (USD 2.7M).
The project, with an estimated cost of SAR 104.3M (USD 27.8M), started on 14 May 2010, and was scheduled for completion on 24 April 2012. However, the contractor determined that the presence of underground water pipelines and telephone cables would add to the construction costs.
A new completion date for the tunnel was scheduled for 7 December 2012, but the project was further delayed.
The project was inspected by Prince Mansour bin Miteb bin Abdulaziz, minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs. He extended the deadline for the completion of the project for another 75 days, which pushed the new completion date to 6 March 2013.
Monday’s opening puts the completion date almost two weeks ahead of the last date.
The telephone exchange for the Salamah area was one of the major obstacles blocking completion. In addition, the original estimates for the number of underground telephone cables was 14,000 pairs, but the excavation contractor discovered 54,500 pairs, which were moved during the course of construction.
Later, additional designs, and the construction of flood and storm water facilities added to further delays.
The original cost of SAR 94M (USD 25M) was increased to SAR 104.3M. The work was executed by Safa Contracting Company while Parsons was the consulting firm for the project.
An attractive pathway with red color mosaic tiles was built along the tunnel in order to facilitate pedestrians.
