Oman’s Transport & Communications Ministry (MOTC) has awarded UAE-based Ghantoot Transport & General Contracting the contract to build section 7 of the 11-package $2.7bn Batinah Expressway project.

Ghantoot offered RO81.3m ($211m) for the contract, which entails the construction of two link roads (4 and 4A), and the design and construction of interchanges, culverts and other associated facilities.

The other bidders were Strabag Oman (Austria) and local firm Galfar Engineering & Contracting.

The Batinah Expressway project involves the construction of 265 kilometres of new road. The scheme is expected to improve the northern road link into Muscat from the UAE, providing an alternative to the existing congested Batinah Highway.

The expressway is being constructed under 11 major contracts, with the first six awarded between 2012 and 2015.

These six packages cover the 265km road, with each section between 40km and 50km long. The first $361m package went to Galfar Engineering in April 2012. India’s Simplex Infrastructures won a 42.5km package (section 3), worth $318m and running from Al-Khabourah to Saham, in April 2013.

Larsen & Toubro, also of India, picked up the $352m package for the 50km section (section 4) between Saham and Liwa in July 2013.

In December 2014, India’s Nagarjuna Construction Company won the Suwaiq to Shinas segment (section 2), worth $370m. Other major contractors that have won packages include Lebabon-based Consolidated Contractors Company and a joint venture of local firm Federici Stirling Batco and Spain’s Ferrovial.

According to MEED Projects data, contractors have already completed works for sections 1 to 6.