MUSCAT - The Ministry of Transport and Communications has awarded a contract for the dualisation of a key carriageway in Buraimi, further reinforcing the infrastructure development of one of Oman's newest governorates. Federici Stirling BATCO LLC will undertake the dualisation and upgrade of a 17.5-kilometre stretch of the governorate's main carriageway from Zurub roundabout to the Buraimi Hospital roundabout at a cost of RO 22.850 million.
The carriageway serves as the Sultanate's principal gateway into the United Arab Emirates on its northwestern border, and is an increasingly important overland route for commercial, tourist and cross-border traffic between Oman and the UAE. Importantly, with the dualisation of this key stretch, the entire highway extending from Sohar all the way to Oman's border with the UAE at Buraimi will have been dualised to international highway construction standards. Another contractor is close to completing the dualisation of the 82-kilometre Sohar-Buraimi highway at a cost of nearly RO 44 million.
With a total of 18 bridges and two pedestrian underpasses, the dualised Sohar-Buraimi carriageway will allow for smooth traffic flows, particularly heavy vehicles, between the industrial port of Sohar and the UAE, via Buraimi-Al Ain. Federici Stirling BATCO, which is already executing a number of prestigious road projects in Muscat Governorates, led a field of several leading local and international companies that bid for the Buraimi road project. The bidding line-up included Consolidated Contractors Co, Desert Line Projects, Strabag Oman, Larsen & Toubro (Oman), STFA, Oman Gulf Co, Turkerler Construction, Khalid bin Ahmed & Sons, Copri Construction, National United Engineering, ASAS Civil Construction, and Sarooj Construction.
In addition to dualising the stretch between the Zurub and Buraimi Hospital roundabouts, the contract also calls for the complete overhaul of the carriageway, says Salvatore Simonetti, CEO of Federici Stirling BATCO. "This road will be upgraded to international standards, complete with two partial cloverleaf bridges, four underpasses, New Jersey barriers, and modern street-lighting. We are mobilising a team of road construction specialists, backed by experienced workers, to ensure it is built to the client's satisfaction within the stipulated timeframe."
Also as part of the contract, a new roundabout will be constructed at Zurub, while service roads will be built on either side of the carriageway. Slated for completion by end-2010, the dualised carriageway will also run all the way to the UAE check-post. NESPAK is providing engineering consultancy services to the Ministry of Transport and Communications on the project. The Buraimi contract further strengthens Federici Stirling BATCO's reputation as a major road contractor in the Sultanate. The company is currently building a series of bridges at Qurum and Qurayat on behalf of Muscat Municipality at a cost of around RO 40 million.
The bridges are part of a reinforced road network in Muscat Governorate designed to secure major carriageways against flood damage of the kind that devastated road communications in the city during the adverse weather conditions of June 2007. The company made its debut in the Sultanate in 2007 when it was awarded its maiden contract for the reconstruction of the Qurum-Al Sarooj road, which was also severely damaged during the June 2007 storm.
Significantly, the Buraimi road project will further add to the governorate's infrastructure modernisation. Since it was upgraded into a governorate by Royal Decree in 2006, Buraimi has attracted significant investment in new infrastructure, including internal roads, wastewater plants, street lighting projects, public parks, and health centres.
Three major shopping malls and commercial centres are also under construction in the governorate. Development is also underway of the new Buraimi University, which is affiliated with the University of Vienna. Recently, authorities have also tendered out a contract for the construction of a new grandiose gateway at Buraimi. Conceived and designed on the lines of the Muscat Gate on Al Bahri Street on the corniche road, the arched Buraimi gateway will serve as a splendid landmark on Oman's border with the UAE.
By Conrad Prabhu
© Oman Daily Observer 2009
