Bids in for second phase of Dubai Water Canal infrastructure

25 March 2014

Dubai transport agency received Dubai Water Canal bid offers with financing and for construction only

The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) received on 25 March bids from contractors for the contract to build the second phase of infrastructure for the Dubai Water Canal project.

Contractors submitted two offers: one was with seven years of financing; the other for a construction-only contract.

The lowest bidder for the contract with seven years of financing was the local/Australian Habtoor Leighton Group (HLG) with a price of AED487m ($133m). The low bid was about 6 per cent lower than the second-lowest price of AED516m, submitted by Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation.

The low bidder for the construction-only contract was China State with a price of AED384m, which is about 5 per cent lower than the second-lowest bid submitted by India’s Afcons. Afcons did not submit an offer with financing.

The contract involves the construction of two separate bridges for Al-Wasl and Jumeirah Beach roads. The Jumeirah Beach Road bridge will be 220 metres long and 26 metres wide with three lanes of traffic in each direction. The bridge on Al-Wasl Road will be 530 metres long and 19 metres wide with two lanes of traffic in each direction. It will also have a 900-metre-long direction ramp connecting to the bridge.

The RTA has also invited contractors to bid by 30 April for a contract to complete the third phase of the Dubai Water Canal project.

The contract involves the excavation and other marine works for the project, which is also known as the creek extension. The new section of waterway will run from the already extended creek at Business Bay, under Sheikh Zayed Road, Al-Wasl Road and Jumeirah Beach Road in the Al-Safa area.

In October 2013, Gunal was awarded a contract that involves building a 16-lane bridge that will take traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road across the proposed Dubai Water Canal project that involves taking Dubai creek from the Business Bay area to the Gulf. The contractor is providing funding for the works.

The RTA recently approved a new AED7bn budget for 2014 that allocates AED3.6bn for construction projects. One of the schemes is a major bridge across Dubai creek.

Al-Ittihad Bridge will be a 12-lane (six in each direction) bridge that will replace the existing Floating Bridge. The 61.6-metre-wide crossing will feature an arch that rises 100 metres, enabling non-stop traffic movement and safe passage of bulky ships on Dubai creek beneath. The bridge will also have a footpath in each direction.

The RTA plans to award the construction contract for the bridge by the end of 2014. The consultant is US-based Parsons International.

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