On 29 March, Belhasa Six Construct submitted the lowest offer for the contract to build the Infinity Bridge in Dubai. The AED390m ($106m) bid is about 25 per cent below the second lowest price, and means that the local/Belgian contractor is now likely to make a return to working on bridges the Creek.

Before 2008, the contractor completed the new Garhoud Bridge and the Business Bay Bridge (Ras al Khor Crossing) across the Creek, and more recently it delivered the marine works package for the Dubai Water Canal that involved the construction of three pedestrian footbridges across the new waterway.

In addition to its work on bridges across the Creek and the Dubai Water Canal Belhasa Six Construction also completed a bridge connecting Deira to the Palm Deira – which is now known as the Deira Islands development.

While it would appear the Belhasa Six Construction commands a dominant position when it comes to building bridges in Dubai, the volume of work in the emirate has created opportunities for other firms.  Turkey’s Mapa Gunal completed the bridges taking Sheikh Zayed Road over the Dubai Water Canal, while Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation delivered the bridges for Al-Wasl Road and Jumeirah Beach Road as part of the same scheme.

More recently the local DBB Contracting is expected to be awarded the contract to build bridges taking Al-Khail Road over a new waterway linking Dubai Water Canal and Meydan, and the lowest bidder for more bridges connecting to Deira Islands is the local Wade Adams contracting.

The opportunities and the dearth of work in the rest of the region mean that Dubai remains a key market for contractors looking to work on bridge projects. It is also expected to produce more opportunities in the near future with more plans for bridges across the Creek in the design stage.