Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has received bids from two contractors for the contract to build road access bridges connecting to Deira Islands.

The lowest bidder is the local Wade Adams Contracting with a price of AED450m ($123m), which is about 24 per cent lower than the price submitted by the local DBB Contracting.

Deira Islands is an artificial island off the Deira Corniche that is being developed by Nakheel. A crossing to the island has already been completed for the RTA by the local/Belgian Belhasa Six Construct.

The new bridges are part of the large Shindagha corridor scheme that will overhaul the road network in Deira and Bur Dubai. Construction work started on the scheme in 2016 when Wade Adams was awarded the contract to overhaul Sana junction in the Karama area.

Contractors are preparing to submit bids for another major element of the Shindagha Corridor scheme on 29 March. It is understood that at least four contractors are preparing to submit bids for the Infinity Bridge. They are: Spain’s Acciona, the local Al-Naboodah Contracting Company, the Belhasa Six Construct, and Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation.

Dubai wants the Infinity Bridge to be another architectural landmark for the emirate. It will be a box girder bridge with a decorative Infinity arch that offers minimal structural functionality. The bridge will have a total length of about 300 metres with 15 metres of clearance above the waters of the Creek. It is expected that it will take 24 months to build.

The US’ Parsons is the consultant for the Shindagha Corridor scheme.