Oman's Galfar Engineering & Contracting and Turkish group Kolin Insaat are in the fray for the sultanate's ambitious Diba-Lima-Khasab road development, said a report.
The project will have as many as nine tunnels covering a total distance of 21 km in addition to 14 bridges, nine major junctions, and 11 minor junctions, reported Oman Observer, citing senior officials of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, which is overseeing the implementation of the project.
Given the mountainous topography through which the alignment runs, the Diba-Lima-Khasab road project promises to be a marvel of road engineering and construction, they stated.
The ministry had sought proposals from interested bidders for the following three options:
* Design of a single carriageway road, with single bore tunnels, including all appurtenances;
* Design of a single carriageway road, with dual bore tunnels and appropriate tunnel-to-roadway transitions, including all appurtenances;
* Design of a dual carriageway road including all appurtenances.
In yet another option, dubbed the Wadi Muwwa Road option, the ministry included a 8-km-long road element, incorporating a 4-km-long tunnel, just 20 km west of the start of the project.
Although a relatively short 55-km stretch, the proposed carriageway spans plunging valleys and cuts through lofty mountains characteristic of the rugged terrain of Musandam Governorate, said the report.
As per the contract, the winning bidder will be required to operate and maintain the road for a period of 10 years after construction and thereafter hand it back to the government in a specified minimum condition, it added.
Galfar, Turkish builder vie for mega Oman road project
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