Oman’s Transport and Communications Ministry has floated two tenders worth a total estimated value of $800m to expand an existing road between the cities of Adam and Thumrait.

The project has been divided into two segments and involves the conversion of the 715-kilometre road into a four-lane dual carriageway. Tenders must be submitted by 2 December.  

Upon completion of the Adam-Thumrait road project, the link between Muscat and Salalah will be fully dualised along its length of more than 1,000km. US-based Parsons is providing design and construction supervision consultancy services for the project.

Oman has recently issued a flurry of large road contracts as it looks to bolster its economy by developing more modern and integrated transport infrastructure. The government has earmarked $8bn for the construction of 12,704km of road projects as land transport continues to be the main means of getting around the sultanate.

Earlier this week, the ministry issued a tender for a contract worth an estimated $160m to build a 45km road between Ubaylah and Fayyad. Bids for the contract were initially floated in 2011. The submission date for the new tender is 18 November.

The biggest road scheme being built is the 260km Batinah Expressway, which will be Oman’s first dual four-lane road once completed. The $2.6bn project will connect Sohar, Muscat and the UAE, and is expected to reduce the travel time between Muscat and the UAE border by at least an hour.