Contractors compete for three Abu Dhabi road contracts

26 June 2012

Contracts cover Mafraq to Ghuweifat highway and the Emirates road extension

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport (DoT) has invited contractors to bid for two construction contracts on the Mafraq to Ghuweifat highway scheme.

Firms have been invited to bid by 12 July for the first contract, known as Section 3A by 12 July. It involves the upgrade of 55 kilometres of highway between Baynouna forest and Mirfa by turning it from a two-lane dual carriageway to a four-lane one. Contractors have also been invited to bid by 9 August for another contract covering the Hameem interchange.

The UK’s Mott Macdonald is the consultant.

The improvements to the 350km-long Mafraq to Ghuweifat highway were going to be executed as a public-private partnership scheme, but the DoT cancelled the plans in May 2011, after receiving bids in December 2009.

Before that contractors had been invited in 2007 by Abu Dhabi Municipality to prequalify by 10 January for construction contracts on the estimated AED3bn ($817m) highway scheme.

The project involves the construction of several interchanges, including a major intersection at Ruwais.

The DoT is also evaluating bids from contractors for the first section of the Emirates road extension in northern Abu Dhabi.

Contractors submitted bids on 22 April for the new section of highway that will run for 33 kilometres from the Dubai border towards Abu Dhabi city. Like the upgraded Mafraq to Ghuweifat highway, it will be dual carriageway with four lanes in each direction. The contract also involves building three new interchanges.

The consultant for the Emirates road project is Abu Dhabi office of Aurecon with Australia’s SMEC.

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