95 percent of the temporary mataf bridge dismantled

About 95 percent of the temporary mataf bridge has so far been dismantled and work on the entire project is expected to be completed on May 17, according to a member of the technical committee of the expansion project of the Grand Mosque.

“Work on the demolishing of the temporary mataf bridge is nearing completion and is expected to be finished latest by Sunday,” Wail Bin Saleh Al-Halabi said in statements published by a local Arabic daily on Tuesday.
He said the only parts remaining to be demolished are the northern and the eastern bridges leading to the temporary mataf. Halabi said work on the project continued for about 150,000 working hours without registering any work injury.

“This due to the fact that all the people involved in the demolition are applying the strictest measures of safety for the welfare of the pilgrims and visitors,” he said.

Chairman of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, who made a tour of the project on Monday, asked for completion of all the demolition phases on time so as to provide more space for circumambulation before the advent of Ramadan.

He called on the workers and engineers to do the dismantling with maximum dexterity and to stick to the safety measures so that no pilgrim or visitor is hurt or injured.

When the project is completed, the mataf area will be able to accommodate more than 130,000 pilgrims an hour.