Consultants bid for Dubai transport masterplan

27 May 2013

Study covers all modes of transport in the emirate

Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority has received bids from consultants to prepare a strategic transport masterplan for the emirate.

The bidders are:

  • Atkins (UK)
  • Aurecon (local office)
  • Dar al-Handasah (Lebanon)
  • Systra (France)

The masterplan covers all forms of transport in the emirate including road, rail and water for 2020 and beyond.

The last transport masterplan for Dubai, known as R1000 was completed by South Africa’s Africon and the local Al-Burj Engineering Consultants in 2006. Africon later became part of Aurecon.

The RTA is also preparing to invite consultants to bid for a study for a personal rapid transit (PRT) system serving the World Trade Centre, Financial Centre and Downtown Burj Dubai areas. A PRT system typical uses small vehicles travelling along a monorail.

The RTA recently appointed US-based Parsons to prepare plans for future road and transport projects in Dubai’s central business district, from the Sharjah border in the north, to Port Rashid in the south and inland as far as Ras al-Khor.

The plans will include four new creek crossings, the sixth crossing, the Sheraton bridge, a permanent structure that will replace the existing floating bridge, and a new crossing in the Shindagha area. The study will also consider introducing new Salik toll gates to ease congestion in the area.

For construction work, the RTA has extended the tender closing date for the contract to build a road bridge and canal as part of the first phase of the AED1.5bn-2.5bn ($409m-681m) creek extension to 28 October, meaning an award is unlikely this year.

Contractors had been preparing to submit bids on 27 May after the tender closing date had been extended several times. The original closing date was in February.

The prequalified contractors are:

  • Afcons (India)
  • Al-Naboodah Contracting (local)/Bel Hasa Six Construction (local/Belgium)
  • China State Construction Engineering Corporation (China)
  • Dutco Balfour Beatty (local/UK)
  • Gunal (Turkey)
  • National Wheel J&P (local/Cyprus)
  • Wade Adams (local)

The contract has been split into two parts. Section 1a involves building a bridge that will take traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road across the proposed creek extension. Section 1b covers the excavation and marine work for a stretch of the waterway running from Business Bay running past Safa Park and leading towards Al-Wasl Road.

The consultant is Parsons.

Later packages involve bridges crossing Al-Wasl Road and Beach Road, and excavation and other marine works leading out to the Gulf. Once complete, the extension will connect Business Bay to the Gulf. In addition to crossing Sheikh Zayed Road, the waterway will also cross Al-Wasl Road and Beach Road before entering the sea.

There has been confusion over the future of the scheme since the Dubai Media Office said last year that the scheme will involve a suspended canal that will take the Creek over Sheikh Zayed Road and Dubai metro.

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