Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has invited companies to submit bids for the contract to provide maintenance of expressways throughout the country.

Firms have until 9 October to submit bids for the contract. The contract will involve providing maintenance services for the Salwa International Highway, Dukhan Highway, Al-Shamal Highway, North Relief Road and the Al-Wakrah to Mesaieed Highway.

The work will involve carrying out inspections, rehabilitation, repair and maintenance of roads, bridge structures and drainage cleaning.

Ashghal plans to spend $20bn over the next six years building new roads and upgrading existing road links and related infrastructure throughout Qatar. The body aims to tender 10 major highway projects by the end of 2012 as part of the ambitious infrastructure programme.

Ashghal has already awarded some major expressway projects in 2012. In April, it awarded a QR3.5bn ($961m) main construction contract for the Lusail Expressway project in Doha to South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction.

Just prior to this, it awarded a QR2.33bn contract to the UAE’s Al-Jaber Group for package 13 of the Doha Expressway scheme, which involves the construction of a 10-kilometre, four lane highway and three interchanges. Completion is expected by the end of 2014.