Times of Oman reported that the Ministry of Transport and Communications has floated a tender inviting bids from project consultancy firms for managing the prestigious 265 kilometers long Batinah Expressway one of the biggest road projects in the country that extends Muscat Expressway road all the way to the Oman United Arab Emirates border Khatmat Malaha.
The selected consultant has to manage the entire project work, which is divided into six packages. Four companies have evinced interest in bidding the project management work so far and the documents will be distributed till September 26th 2012. The last date for submitting bids is on October 22nd 2012.
The Tender Board recently awarded the second package for building the carriageway to a consortium of Malaysia's WCT Berhad and Oman Roads Engineering Company. The Phase II covers the section of road from Suwaiq to Shinas. The first package for linking Barka with Suwaiq worth OMR 139 million was bagged by Galfar Engineering in February, which is expected to be ready within 3 years. The Batinah Expressway project which will cost almost a billion rial for the entire project is divided into 6 packages for easy implementation and tenders have already been floated for majority of these packages.
The expressway project is vital for developing the region's economic potential centered around the Sohar Industrial Port and special economic zone. It is expected to reduce the travel time between Muscat and UAE border at least by an hour. In fact, Batinah Expressway, coming up parallel to the existing Batinah highway, is an extension of the 53 kilometers long Muscat Expressway. However, the Ministry of Transport and Communications will be responsible for building the 265 kilometers long expressway.
The US based multinational consultant Parsons International designed the first and second section of the carriageway, which together account for 180 kilometers section while Turkey's Bosphorous Technical Consulting Corporation offered consultancy services for the remaining 85 kilometers stretch of the road project.
Source - Times of Oman
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