A few days ago the new Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah Causeway was officially opened and everyone’s been really excited about it because it’s our first overwater bridge. I decided to drive up and down both bridges (yes there are two) this past Friday and I have to say, it’s one super boring drive. Although in theory, the drive across the bridge sounds cool because you’re surrounded by water with a beautiful cityscape on your right, in reality, it’s just a pretty straight long 3-lane highway, you can also barely see the water or cityscape because of the high side rails and because of all the speed cameras, it’s a very monotonous drive. The nicest part of the bridge is pictured above when coming down from the highest point of the bridge.
As I mentioned there are two bridges, a long one that takes you from Shuwaikh Port all the way north towards Subiya, while the second smaller one takes you to Doha. The total drive time is around 18 minutes long on the main long bridge and once you get to the end there really isn’t anything there, just an empty desert. There are plans to build Silk City there (can we rename it to Sin City please?), but right now the road is blocked off and you have a choice of either heading back to Shuwaikh via the bridge, or taking the older and longer inland road back down to the city.
There are a total of 9 speed cameras laid out across the long bridge as well as average speed cameras. So if you were hoping for some spirited driving you’re out of luck. There are also two artificial islands along the way, the Southern Island and Northern island. These are two exit points along the way where you can get off the main bridge to stop and check out the view or to u-turn back. Eventually, there will probably be services on these islands like restaurants or mini markets, but right now they’re not open yet. The first island exit comes up 3 minutes into the bridge drive while the second exit comes up around 10 minutes in.
For some stupid reason, people have been parking along the bridge to take photos and selfies. It’s pretty dangerous since it’s basically a 3-lane highway with a speed limit of 100KM/h. But, when I was driving on the bridge there were police patrols making sure people kept moving and didn’t stop on the side. There’s a guy who posted the hilarious video below of him being the first one to make tea on the bridge, I doubt he was being serious, he’s most likely (I hope at least) poking fun out of the way people have been treating this bridge.
The second smaller bridge starts in Shuwaikh Port and heads west towards Doha. The total drive on this bridge is just 5 minutes which means you could be at Entertainment City in less than 10 minutes from Shuwaikh. Too bad Entertainment City isn’t open though or they would be getting a lot more visitors now. There are 2 speed cameras on this bridge as well as average speed cameras so no spirited driving here as well.
I recorded a video of the full drive across both bridges starting from the first island exit all the way to Subiya, turned around headed back down to Shuwaikh and then up the second smaller bridge to Doha. It’s a pretty long and boring video but here are some timestamps in case you want to skip through it:
0:00 – Southern Island
2:50 – Popular selfie point
7:50 – Northern Island
16:00 – End of the bridge
29:05 – Police car telling a guy parked to keep moving
29:55 – Lots of cars parked on the side
35:20 – Back to Shuwaikh taking bridge to Doha
41:15 – End of bridge to Doha
If you’re interested in cycling on the bridge it’s doable but there isn’t a protected bike path. You’d have to ride on the emergency lane and I didn’t see any “no cycling” signs, but I did see some cyclists. The way I’d do it if it was me is to park on the first island, get my bike off the car and then ride back and forth between the first and second island. But it’s too scary with idiots parking on the side so do so at your own risk.
Update: According to the MOI, since the opening of the bridge they’ve issued over 1,800 fines. It seems anybody who’s been parking on the side of the road, littering or doing anything illegal is being spotted by the hundreds of surveillance cameras located all over the bridge and are being issued tickets.
— وزارة الداخلية (@Moi_kuw) May 5, 2019
33 replies on “Everything You Need to Know About the New Causeway Bridges”
who the fuck started the throw trash off the bridge challenge?
The tea guy was the one who started all the “first” nonsense
Have you guys seen the videos in Kiwait up to date of idiots littering the bridge? Throwing alcohol bottle and drinks to the sea on the bridge…there should be charged and videos should be placed to check these cars not only speed cameras.
Well there is a traffic / surveillance camera every two light poles so whomever is littering or doing anything illegal would be caught fairly easily.
According to this Tweet by MOI, there were 1812 traffic violations since it opened!
https://twitter.com/Moi_kuw/status/1124994860090523648
hahahaha thats amazing!
This is what I knew was probably going to happen eventually. I hope they act sensible and keep the area clean, not make it another littering ground…ugh.
Ditto, I really hope any littering will be monitored. Especially since given the gaps between those rails on either side of the causeway, any sort of litter is likely to pass through and enter the sea. The litter has no where to go but the sea.
How does it make any sense to build a bridge to a completely barren land (which already had an existing access road). This bridge won’t be useful for a decade, and that’s if they really take it seriously and start developing the area quickly. Meanwhile its just degrading over time, and requiring a lot of maintenance (marine structures require a lot of upkeep). Just the power consumption alone is 12Megawatts per day.
GENIUS
Makes it A LOT easier to get supplies to the other size, what would have previously taken an hour and a half now takes just 20 minutes. So sure the bridge would degrade over time but it’s a bridge, it’s meant to be used and when the tarmac gets old they can just repave it.
Plus with projects like this the first thing you do is lay down the power, water and roads. Now investors, the public and everyone else can actually see how close the area is. Makes its real.
You have a point, but I feel we are a few years away from anything happening. I just wish they even did some the basic infrastructure on the other side before opening the bridge. Roads, power, water, sewage, phones, etc…
I hope that the road paved isn’t final. And there is another layer coming up or something. Cz the road ain’t smooth… Too many bumps.. And waterlogging towards the edges.
And it hasn’t even rained and this the status of the road… Imagine it rains.
#engineersassociationofkuwait
Just for reference, 1 Megawatt is enough to power 1000 homes. This bridge takes as much power as 12,000 homes for absolutely no current benefit.
https://alqabas.com/663838/
1 megwatt = 164 homes so if the bridge is consuming 12 then that’s under 2,000 homes. https://m.boiseweekly.com/boise/megawhat/Content?oid=3433953
just for reference, they’re building (or actually i think they already built) a 5,000 megawatt powerplant in Subiya for Silk City.
Your link is talking about solar (I guess there is a loss or something).
Here’s the “gold standard” of standards, California Code:
https://www.energy.ca.gov/glossary/ISO_GLOSSARY.PDF
As for Silk City, its seems that idea is losing traction in parliament because the cost benefit analysis and the money required to develop the original plan just don’t make sense now. I guess in a way the bridge forces them to now do something.
Also who came up with Silk City? Is this something in China? What is our link to silk? We’re forbidden from wearing it for God’s sake. Why not Pearl City. Kuwait was known as the Pearl of the gulf. Pearl fishing has a long history here. Fire the marketing guy!
The article I linked to talks about the common misconception that 1mw = 1000 homes so they explain how 1mw is most likely 164 homes.
PS: We have Pearl City already, it was another huge project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vni4XPjMjok
Why are most against it?
If the northern city plan is to be worked out this is going to be the artery to bring in all the supplies and construction equipment to that area without disrupting local traffic and in wayyy shorter time. That’s all.
Plus if it cuts down time from the main city to the northern city it’s enticing for future investors of any kind to see this as viable and good opportunity to invest into.
This isn’t the longest bridge in the world though. It’s the fourth longest (main one to Subiya).
someone needs to add it to this list…:P..
Will be Number 9
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest_bridges
Brand new bridge/road and it is bumpy as hell and the joints between the bridge segments are very uneven.
Not bumpy at all, I drove up and down in my Lotus and if it was bumpy I would have easily felt it
Strange, I really thought it was bumpy.
Can I just say that this place is slowly but surely turning into a rant where what ever Kuwait does, either good or bad, people still take the piss on it and talk like they have a post-doctorate on the topic.
+1
+1
I wish there was a like button
They should just introduce a toll and make people pay for a service rendered I.e. transportation and cutting the traveling time in half.
they’re making more money by letting everyone onto the bridge for free and then fining people who break the law.
hahaha so true – at least for now before people catch on. you can always rely on kuwaitis breaking the law
So this is what excites you in kuwait a new bridge? LOL
Anyone has any idea what the state of Entertainment City is? Would I be able to enter and take photographs? Is it completely deserted or are there any guards or workers there?
Drove on the causeway on Friday Morning and exits to both the Islands were closed off…
Anyone here have any idea of this?
Thanks dude.Got some Idea..Plan to drive today..Hijri New year