Top regional road projects

There is no doubt that road congestion costs logistics and transportation companies money. Dr Salem Al Shafiei, a regional transportation expert, estimated recently that the equivalent of 3.5% of the UAE’s GDP is lost annually to traffic congestion.

“We lose around AED 10.5 billion on traffic congestion annually, if we take into account both passenger traffic and heavy goods traffic,” he told local reporters.

The good news is that regional governments, despite being buffeted by the global economic slowdown, are pressing ahead with massive roadbuilding projects.

Dubai, for example, has committed hundreds of millions to the widening and improvement of Al Khail Road, a vital artery for construction and commuter traffic.

Kuwait is floating a number of road projects, including the US $250 million 42km Nawaseeb highway and a US $200 million upgrade of the First Ring Road.

In its 2009 budget, Saudi Arabia announced it has allocated SR 11.5 billion (US $3.06 billion) for road construction projects this year. The Minister of Transport, who made the announcement, said the length of roads built this year would total 8250 kilometres.

The region’s recent economic slowdown has done nothing to slow governments’ plans. While many residential building projects are cancelled or on hold, construction on roads continues and new projects continue to be awarded.

Here, we present ten road projects that will help keep the wheels of the region’s economies turning.

Click here to view the first five projects.

Salam Street & Mina Road Development Phase 1 (Abu Dhabi)
Client: Abu Dhabi Municipality & Town Planning Department
Estimated value: US $1.4 billion
Scope: The project focuses on development of Salam Street & Mina Road, a key route into and out of the city. Once completed, the road’s capacity will be increased to more than 6000 vehicles per hour in each direction.
Work includes construction of a 3.1km, eight-lane tunnel, and the construction of 1.2km of roads leading into and out of the tunnel. This will serve projects on Reem, Suwa, Saadiyat islands and the Mina area to the east of Abu Dhabi Island.
A joint venture of Saif Bin Darwish Engineering Co. and Samsung Engineering & Construction was awarded the main construction contract early in 2008.
Schedule: Construction started in May 2008 and completion is pencilled in for the end of 2010.

Al Khor to Al Ruwais Road Phase 3 (Qatar)
Client: Authority of Public Works
Estimated value: US $600 million
Scope: The project involves further development of the Al Khor to Al Ruwais Road. The road is 61 kilometres long and will include four lanes in each direction. It will also feature 11 cloverleaf junctions and five tunnels. Dar Al Handasah is the project consultant. Tekfen Construction was awarded the main construction contract in October 2008.
Schedule: Construction work started in late 2008 and is due for completion in 2010.

Parallel Roads Phase 4 (Dubai)
Client: Roads and Transport Authority
Estimated value: US $500 million
Scope: Phase 4 of the parallel roads project includes construction of 31 kilometres of eight-lane roads connecting Dubai Industrial City and Jebel Ali Free Zone South between Sheikh Zayed Road and Emirates Road. Al-Naboodah Contracting was awarded the contact to execute the project in mid 2008.
Schedule: Work began in mid 2008 and is expected to take two years.

King Abdullah Highway Development (KSA)
Client: Riyadh Development Authority 
Estimated value: US $375 million
Scope: Work will focus on the improvement and widening of the road; construction of three tunnels, service roads and subways; and beautification works.
Schedule: Saudi Oger was awarded the main construction contract in early 2008 and construction started in May 2008. Work is expected to finish in early 2012. 

Al Khail Road Upgrades (Dubai)
Client: Roads and Transport Authority
Estimated cost: US $434.5 million (US $232.1 million for Phase 2, US $119.4 million for Phase 3 and US $83 million for Phase 4)
Scope: The Al Khail Road Upgrade project involves widening and improving a 15km stretch of Al Khail Road between the junctions at Muscat Road and Emirates Road. The existing road will be widened from four lanes to six throughout and the roundabouts along this stretch will be turned into flyovers to allow the uninterrupted flow of traffic. New slip roads and interchanges will be added to enable access to the new residential developments along this stretch. Al Khail Road will also be extended by nine kilometres to connect it to Dubai Bypass Road.
Work has been split into three phases. Phase 2, worth a reported US $232.1 million, was awarded to Gunal Construction. Phase 3, worth a reported US $119.4 million, was given to Ascon Road Contracting Company.
Phase 4 is worth US $83 million and the contract has been awarded, through the winning bidder has not been announced. This job will focus on creating a flyover junction at the intersection of Al Khail and Umm Suqeim roads.
Schedule: Work on Phases 2 and 3 is underway and is due for completion in 2010. Site mobilisation on Phase 4 will start soon.

Click here to view the next five projects.

Nawaseeb Road (Kuwait)
Client: Ministry of Public Works 
Estimated value: US $250 million
Scope: The project will involve construction of a 42km, six-lane highway as well as five interchanges. Parsons Brinckerhoff International Incorporated is project manager.
Schedule: The design of the road is expected to be ready by the end of 2009. Construction will begin in the first quarter of 2010 and is due for completion in 2013.

Construction of Ring Road at Sabah Al Ahmad City (Kuwait)
Client: Public Housing Authority
Estimated value: US $250 million
Scope: Work will focus on construction of a ring road at Sabah Al Ahmad City. The contract also includes construction of roads to the north-west and south-east of Sabah Al Ahmad City. A joint venture between Mubarak Al Hajraf for Trading & Contracting and Bashiyazji Oglo Contracting Co was awarded the main construction contract in November 2008.
Schedule: Construction started in early 2009 and is expected to finish in April 2011. 

First Ring Road Upgrade Phase 2 (Kuwait)
Client: Ministry of Public Works
Estimated value: US $200 million
Scope: The project will involve upgrading the road sections between Dasman and Abdullah Al Ahmed streets to express status. Upgrades of interchanges, road widening and tunnelling as well as storm-water drainage are also included in the project. Tender documents for the main construction contract were issued in April 2009
Schedule: Construction will begin in the first quarter of 2010 and is due for completion in 2012.

Jahra-Subiya Highway Phase 3 (Kuwait)
Client: Ministry of Public Works
Estimated value: US $151 million
Scope: Phase 3 of Jahra-Subiya Highway covers construction of a 27 kilometre section. United Gulf Construction (UGCC) was awarded the main construction contract in March 2009.
Schedule: Construction is scheduled to start soon and is expected to take three years to complete.

Riyadh Roads Package 2
Client: Ministry of Transport 
Estimated value: US $135 million
Scope: The package covers construction of the southern section of Riyadh Ring Road. It also includes refurbishment of two intersections, the eastern section of the ring road, Obair Road and Al Mahdiah Road.  Mohamad Al Ali Al Swailam Trading & Contracting was awarded the main construction contract in September 2008.
Schedule: Work is underway and scheduled to finish in mid 2011.