The client, the Ministry of Public Works, is considering three route options. The other two involve linking the causeway with the Al-Ghazali expressway and the second ring road.

The route study proposes a 26-kilometre causeway, with four lanes of dual carriageway. There will be provisions for two transit points to allow vehicles to make U-turns and for the construction of restaurants and maintenance facilities. The causeway will be built at a low-level, with a number of embankments near the coast. To allow vessels to enter the Kuwait harbour, the proposed bridge will be suspended.

COWI has prepared three conceptual designs for the purpose: a two-tower composite (steel and concrete) cabled bridge; a single tower bridge; and a two-tower bridge using concrete.

The next stage in the project will be a detailed conceptual design, to be followed by preparation of tender documents. COWI is being assisted on the project by water modelling specialist DHI Water & Environment, architect Dissing & Weitlingand Sund & Baelt, allof Denmark.

The scheme forms part of plans to develop a new city at Subiya to be linked to Kuwait City by a causeway across Kuwait Bay. This will reduce the distance between the two sites to 26 kilometres from 130 kilometres.

The scheme is estimated to cost KD 450 million ($1,500 million) and will take three-five years to build. In October 2001, the government announced the allocation of KD 278 million ($925 million) for the project (MEED 12:10:01).