Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is preparing to award the contract for the construction of a traffic management centre (TMC) in Barsha.

Binladin Group Contracting, the UAE arm of Saudi Binladin Group, is the front runner for the contract, a source with knowledge of the project tells MEED.

RTA received bids for the contract in April.

The building is expected to serve as the control centre for RTA's comprehensive intelligent traffic system (ITS).

The ITS programme covers several packages including infrastructure works with civil, electrical and communications components.

Other ITS packages under procurement include:

• Advanced traffic management system
• Roadside dynamic information system
• Traffic monitoring and information collection system
• Maintenance of airport tunnel control room and traffic management centre video walls
• Upgrade of urban traffic control (UTC) Scoot central system
• IP-based CCTV replacement

RTA inaugurated its AED335m ($90m) enterprise command and control centre (EC3) in May last year.

The EC3 is a central platform that facilitates control, monitoring and coordination between various transit modes within the emirate, including road, marine and metro. It also provides RTA with a platform to plan and simulate traffic management especially for major events such as Expo 2020.