The Transport & Communications Ministry has invited firms to bid for four road construction contracts in the Al-Batinah region in Northern Oman.

Contractors have been invited to bid for two design and build projects in Sohar by 11 January 2010. The are a new road running along Wadi Al-Hitl, and one in Sihrah.

The other two projects are in the Nakhal area. Contractors are due to submit bids on 11 January for a contract to design and build a new road from Al-Lajal to Buwah. Firms will prepare bids by 4 January for a contract to design and build a roundabout and pedestrian underpass.

The Transport & Communication Ministry has also invited companies to bid by 28 December for the contract to expand a road running from Nizwa to Ibri (MEED 13:11:09).

The companies will bid to upgrade the section of the road from Jabrin to Ibri by turning it into a dual carriageway.

The ministry has awarded contracts for two other road projects in the second half of 2009.

In September, the local Desert Line Projects won a RO23m ($59.4m) contract to build the road between Argoutt and Sorfait in the Dhofar governorate near the Yemeni border in the south of the sultanate.

In June, the joint venture of Italy’s Federici Stirling and Lebanon’s Batco was awarded a RO23m contract to upgrade the road between Zurub and Buraimi.