The General Directorate of Traffic has closed a section of Hussein bin Ali Al-Rumi Road, known as the Fourth Ring Road, opposite the Yarmouk area for resurfacing works that commenced on June 28 and are set to last until August 7. The full closure spans from the Airport Road interchange, designated as Bridge 55, to the Riyadh Road interchange toward Salmiya, while the Airport Road route from Jahra to Salmiya remains open for that direction. In its announcement, the department urged motorists to adhere to diversion signs and select alternative paths during the 40-day project to limit further disruption on this key arterial route.
Significant queues formed on surrounding roads by Monday evening as commuters returned from work, with many adding more than an hour to typical travel times amid temperatures that reached 38 degrees Celsius. The maintenance crews began operations after sunset to limit exposure to peak daytime heat, yet the resulting bottlenecks led to widespread vehicle overheating and mounting frustration among drivers stuck in the traffic. Local accounts described bumper-to-bumper conditions that extended well into the night across the Yarmouk vicinity and adjacent streets.
Central Statistical Bureau data placed the number of registered vehicles in Kuwait at 2.609 million by the end of 2024, including more than 2.1 million private cars that accounted for over 80 percent of the total fleet. An academic study published in 2019 determined that roughly 70 percent of the driving public regularly encounters heavy congestion, particularly on major ring roads where time and fuel losses accumulate daily. These figures illustrate the scale of potential impact when a primary east-west corridor such as the Fourth Ring Road undergoes sectional shutdowns.
The project forms part of sustained upgrades to the national road network, following a 2025 assessment by the transport authority that had projected full maintenance on the Fourth Ring Road by mid-2026. Coordination between the traffic department and the Ministry of Public Works seeks to address longstanding surface deterioration while minimizing interference with peak-hour flows. Sections continue to require targeted intervention even as overall timelines advance.
The General Directorate of Traffic reiterated its call for drivers to consult updated route information and exercise patience throughout the closure window. Alternative options center on open interchanges and parallel roads that can absorb diverted volume from the affected stretch. Officials noted that the temporary measure supports longer-term improvements in road safety and durability for one of Kuwait’s most heavily traveled routes.
