The expansion of a major highway in Oman will facilitate increased traffic volume.
The Habtoor Leighton Group (HLG) has been awarded an OR117 million (Dhs1.1 billion) contract by Oman’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) for the dualisation of a section of Oman’s Bidbid-Sur highway.
In a joint venture with Turkey’s Sezai Turkes-Feyzi Akkaya (STFA), the contract involves the expansion of a 75-kilometre section of road from a single, two-lane carriageway to a four-lane dual carriageway. The scope of work also includes the construction of nine interchanges and 50 kilometres of service roads.
When completed, the road will facilitate safer travel for the increased volumes of traffic using this important arterial highway, which will by-pass the important rural town of Ibra, some 100 kilometres south of Muscat. It is part of the Oman Government’s comprehensive upgrading of the country’s road network.
Work on this section of the highway will begin immediately and is expected to be completed within three years.
The HLG CEO and Managing Director Laurie Voyer said the award was a significant achievement in one of the group’s target growth markets. “We have identified Oman as a key growth market for us as we expand across the Middle East,” he said.
“We have an established reputation for delivering infrastructure and building projects in the UAE and Oman and this award represents a significant step forward as we expand our operations further afield.” HLG has a reputation for delivering highquality road infrastructure projects, having successfully delivered the Saadiyat Link Expressway in Abu Dhabi.
“We have a proven track record in delivering complex projects of the highest quality and this project will allow us to showcase our skills and deliver a project that will be of long-term benefit to the people of Oman for generations to come,” Mr Voyer said.
He said that Oman will continue to offer further opportunities for HLG, as the government has earmarked over OR8 billion (Dhs74 billion) for infrastructure spending over the next five years.
Mr Voyer said the Group was currently pursuing a number of other opportunities across the Middle East.
“We continue to see significant opportunities in large-scale infrastructure across the region and we look forward to further award announcements in the near future,” he said.