Cost of road projects since start of 10th five-year plan tops OMR900mn
Muscat: The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has plans to implement a number of dual carriageway road projects across the Sultanate of Oman in the upcoming period, following the completion of major national and primary dual carriageway roads connecting the governorates.
The latest of these was the completion of the dualisation of Sultan Said bin Taimur Road, spanning 400 kilometres, making it the longest dual carriageway in the Sultanate.
Eng. Khamis bin Mohammed Al Shamakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Transport, stated that the ministry's upcoming focus will be on completing existing and newly approved projects.
Some of these are in the final stages of tendering, while others are being prepared for award.
Among the most notable projects is the dualisation project at the centre of Ibra in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate. Design work is underway for the dual carriageway connecting Sultan Turki bin Said Road through Al Mudhaibi ending in the Wilayat of Sinaw.
He added, in a statement to the Oman News Agency, that the Ministry is also finalising procedures for the first phase of the dualisation project of the Empty Quarter Road in Al Dhahirah Governorate.
Work is progressing on the first phase of the dual carriageway connecting Al Buraimi to Mahdah, spanning 11 kilometres.
Efforts are also ongoing to complete remaining works on Sultan Said bin Taimur Road between Adam and Haima, as well as several projects in Dhofar Governorate.
These include the dualisation of the road from Raysut to Al Mughsayl, Al Mughsayl Bridge, the Itin Tunnel, the dualisation of Al-Farooq Street, Sultan Taimur Street, and the construction of an asphalt road network in the Wilayat of Maqshan.
Additionally, the ministry is implementing the Jabal Shams Road project and the dualisation of the Izki/Nizwa road (Garout South / Birkat Al Mouz / Firq) in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate.
Regarding the dualisation of the Al Kamil Wal Wafi / Jalan Bani Bu Hassan / Jalan Bani Bu Ali Road in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate, He explained that the project is currently in the procedures and bid evaluation stage, based on the final scope agreed upon with the relevant authorities.
He noted that the completion rate of the Al Kamil – Sur road has reached over 46%, while the Sultan Faisal bin Turki road has surpassed 44%.
He confirmed that in 2024, the Ministry awarded a number of road projects with a total value exceeding OMR450 million. This year, the value of road projects is expected to exceed OMR600 million.
The total cost of road projects awarded by the Ministry since the beginning of the Tenth Five-Year Plan until now has surpassed OMR920 million.
Regarding the internal road links that connect highways, He affirmed that the Ministry is implementing some of these connections based on annual priorities and in line with plans approved by the relevant authorities.
These include the link connecting the Al Musan'ah (Al Shu'aiba) roundabout and the completion of the Sohar link road connecting to the Al Batinah Expressway, which is currently under process and expected to be tendered this year.
He also noted that work is ongoing to complete some links and supplementary works on Sultan Turki bin Said Road and the Al Batinah Expressway.
He explained that the Ministry is also undertaking various road maintenance projects across the Sultanate. Among the most prominent is the maintenance of Sultan Thuwaini bin Said Road from the Wilayat of Bidbid to the Wilayat of Nizwa.
He noted that the total length of asphalt and unpaved roads under the Ministry's supervision exceeds 33,000 kilometres—of which about 16,000 kilometres are asphalt roads and approximately 17,000 kilometres are unpaved.
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