04 August 2013
Muscat: Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), one of the leading contracting firms in the Sultanate, has won the sixth package of Batinah Expressway with a capital expenditure of OMR124 million, said sources in contracting firms. The Tender Board, it was learnt, has awarded the 45-km long sixth package of the 265-km long-highway on Wednesday.
CCC won the project after pushing aside 14 local and international firms, which include Larsen & Toubro, Sarooj Construction Company, Federici - Stirling Batco, Nagarjuna Construction, Ozkar Construction Co and Makyol Gulf.
Although CCC was the fourth lowest bidder, with a bid value of OMR130.85 million, the Tender Board might have renegotiated with the company for bringing down the bid amount to OMR124 million, said sources familiar with the tender. The authorities must have taken into account various technical aspects of the project. However, the company officials were unavailable for comment.
Larsen & Toubro, Sarooj Construction and Federici - Stirling Batco were the lowest bidders of sixth package with bid amounts of OMR115.93 million, OMR122.50 million and OMR125.08 million, respectively.
Sources said the expressway will have four lanes on each side and the sixth package is the last one, which may take a minimum of two years to complete.
Six packages
The Batinah Expressway project, which is expected to cost almost a billion rial for the entire project, is divided into six packages for construction purpose, and tenders have already been awarded for several of these packages.
The first package linking Barka with Suwaiq was bagged by Galfar Engineering and the third package by Simplex Infrastructures. The second package was recently re-tendered, after the ministry cancelled a contract awarded to a consortium of Malaysian construction firm WCT Engineering and Oman Roads Engineering Company.
Reduced travel time
The Batinah Expressway, which is vital for developing the region's economic potential centred around the Sohar Industrial Port and special economic zone, is expected to reduce the travel time between Muscat and UAE border at least by an hour.
It is one of the biggest road projects in the country that extends Muscat Expressway all the way to the Oman-UAE border Khatmat Malaha.
In fact, the expressway is an extension of the 53-km-long Muscat Expressway (which was built by the Muscat Municipality). However, the Ministry of Transport and Communications will be responsible for building the 265-km long expressway.
The US-based multinational consultant Parsons International designed the first and second section of the carriageway, which together account for a 180-km section, while Turkey's Bosphorous Technical Consulting Corporation (BOTEK) is providing the consultancy services for the remaining 85-km stretch of the road project.
For design purpose, the whole project is divided into three packages and third package for 85-kilometres was bagged by Turkish consultant Botek.
Building the Batinah Expressway will be challenging like the Muscat Expressway due to mountains all along the way. In terms of specifications, Batinah Expressway is designed with world's state-of-the-art standards. It encompasses four tracks for traffic on each side. This is in addition to interchanges, flyovers and underpasses, leading to different wilayats along the way, according to sources at the Ministry of Transport and Communication.
Muscat: Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), one of the leading contracting firms in the Sultanate, has won the sixth package of Batinah Expressway with a capital expenditure of OMR124 million, said sources in contracting firms. The Tender Board, it was learnt, has awarded the 45-km long sixth package of the 265-km long-highway on Wednesday.
CCC won the project after pushing aside 14 local and international firms, which include Larsen & Toubro, Sarooj Construction Company, Federici - Stirling Batco, Nagarjuna Construction, Ozkar Construction Co and Makyol Gulf.
Although CCC was the fourth lowest bidder, with a bid value of OMR130.85 million, the Tender Board might have renegotiated with the company for bringing down the bid amount to OMR124 million, said sources familiar with the tender. The authorities must have taken into account various technical aspects of the project. However, the company officials were unavailable for comment.
Larsen & Toubro, Sarooj Construction and Federici - Stirling Batco were the lowest bidders of sixth package with bid amounts of OMR115.93 million, OMR122.50 million and OMR125.08 million, respectively.
Sources said the expressway will have four lanes on each side and the sixth package is the last one, which may take a minimum of two years to complete.
Six packages
The Batinah Expressway project, which is expected to cost almost a billion rial for the entire project, is divided into six packages for construction purpose, and tenders have already been awarded for several of these packages.
The first package linking Barka with Suwaiq was bagged by Galfar Engineering and the third package by Simplex Infrastructures. The second package was recently re-tendered, after the ministry cancelled a contract awarded to a consortium of Malaysian construction firm WCT Engineering and Oman Roads Engineering Company.
Reduced travel time
The Batinah Expressway, which is vital for developing the region's economic potential centred around the Sohar Industrial Port and special economic zone, is expected to reduce the travel time between Muscat and UAE border at least by an hour.
It is one of the biggest road projects in the country that extends Muscat Expressway all the way to the Oman-UAE border Khatmat Malaha.
In fact, the expressway is an extension of the 53-km-long Muscat Expressway (which was built by the Muscat Municipality). However, the Ministry of Transport and Communications will be responsible for building the 265-km long expressway.
The US-based multinational consultant Parsons International designed the first and second section of the carriageway, which together account for a 180-km section, while Turkey's Bosphorous Technical Consulting Corporation (BOTEK) is providing the consultancy services for the remaining 85-km stretch of the road project.
For design purpose, the whole project is divided into three packages and third package for 85-kilometres was bagged by Turkish consultant Botek.
Building the Batinah Expressway will be challenging like the Muscat Expressway due to mountains all along the way. In terms of specifications, Batinah Expressway is designed with world's state-of-the-art standards. It encompasses four tracks for traffic on each side. This is in addition to interchanges, flyovers and underpasses, leading to different wilayats along the way, according to sources at the Ministry of Transport and Communication.
© Times of Oman 2013
