Consultants invited to supervise Muscat Expressway expansion
Muscat: The Ministry of Transport and Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) has invited consultancy services for the supervision of construction of the Muscat Expressway Widening Project.
The road project was listed in the additional projects added to the Tenth Five-Year Development Plan (2021-2025).
Based on the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the Muscat Municipality announced the expansion of the Muscat Expressway last year with the tender floated for adding three lanes each on both sides. The project has now been now taken over by MTCIT.
Earlier, speaking to the Observer, Eng. Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, the minister, said, "There are lots of road projects coming up in 2025, including the expansion of Muscat Expressway, the Burj al Sahwa remodeling, and the expansion of the November 18 road."
The last date to receive tender documents is March 23, and the bid will be opened on April 20.
The scope of work includes the modification of existing roundabouts at Qurm Area, expansions of existing lanes, modification of existing bridges' entrances and exits, Interchanges and related services as well as hot spots and bottleneck areas.
The Muscat Expressway Widening Project includes five lanes in each direction, starting from Al Qurm to Al Khuwair, and six lanes in each direction from Al Khuwair to match with four lanes of the existing Batinah Expressway (BEW) after Halban Interchange, east to South two lane left turn directional flyover from westbound Al Nahda Street to Southbound Muscat Expressway.
The flyover includes a two-lane Wadi bridge across the Wadi Adai.
The projects include upgrading the existing Sah Al Malh roundabout to a signalized interchange and widening the wadi bridges, construction of Improvements of Qurm Interchange, Saih Al Maleh Roundabout and widening of Qurm Heights Road.
The scope of the project includes connecting Sultan Haitham City to the Muscat Expressway. The consultant is requested to direct flow from Nizwa to Suhar, Muscat expressway to Bidbid-Nizwa road, ensure free right from Interchange 11 to Burj al Sahwa roundabout,
free right from Interchange 12 to Al Khoud signalized intersection.
Muscat Expressway
The 54km long expressway runs parallel to Sultan Qaboos Street away from the coast and through the mountains. It joins the Batinah Expressway that goes up to the United Arab Emirates border at Khatmat Malaha.
Besides taking some of the traffic load from Sultan Qaboos Street, the Muscat Expressway project was completed in different phases to provide access to inaccessible areas and open up new areas for development.
Since its official opening in 2010, the project has emerged as the key road network of the country, especially with the real estate and tourism development of Madinat al Irfan, Bausher, Airport Heights, and the Rusayl Industrial Area, among others.
Currently, with one of the two lanes used by trucks and heavy vehicles and for exits, the road is limited to two lanes for seamless travel and sees heavy congestion during peak hours between Al Khoud and Qurm.
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