Kuwait’s Public Works Ministry is to tender the main construction package on the estimated KD161.9m ($575m) road project in February next year.

Speaking at MEED’s Kuwait Projects 2010 conference on 29 November, Abdulaziz al-Kulaib, undersecretary for the ministry, outlined the organisation’s plans to tender the main construction contract for the 42km-long road project in February 2011.

The work will involve upgrading the current Nawaseeb road into a six-lane divided highway, with five interchanges and grade separated U-turns. The ministry expects construction work to begin in December 2011.

In 2008, the ministry appointed the US-based Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) to provide design and construction management services for the project.

The Nawaseeb road, also known as Route 40, links Kuwait with Saudi Arabia, and is a major trade crossing between the two states.

The project is one of 550 new projects that the Public Works Ministry is planning to develop over the next four years. The ministry is planning to spend $11.5bn in this period to develop the country’s infrastructure.

In September, the ministry received bids from four consortiums to build the estimated KD242m road and related infrastructure at Gamal Abdel Nasser Street, located in the West Shuwaikh area of Kuwait.

The work involves the construction of an elevated 11km road, linked roads, paths and rainwater drainage systems.

A consortium of the local Boodai Construction Company, Italy’s Rizzani De Eccher, Spain’s OHL and Italy’s Trevi Group submitted the lowest bid with a price of KD242m.