Transport Ministry awards Oman road contracts

10 May 2010

Ministry also receives bids for road project in Al-Dhahirah region

Oman’s Transport and Communication Ministry has awarded three contracts totalling OR64.1m ($166m) for construction works on the Nizwa to Thumrait road.

The ministry split the fourth phase of the rehabilitation works on the Nizwa to Thumrait road into three separate packages.

Indian firm Larsen & Toubro won the first package with a bid of OR8.1m, the local Nasr Arabian Company won the second package with a bid of OR24m, and the local Oman Gulf Company was awarded the last package with a price of OR31.9m.

For the first package, L&T will carry out rehabilitation work on 30 kilometres of road and bridges. The contract duration is one year.

The second package with Nasr Arabian is for general road improvements and building a new junction at Muntasar. It is expected to take two and a half years to complete.

Oman Gulf Company is also scheduled to take two and a half years to complete the third package, which involves building seven new junctions together with general rehabilitation works.

The three contracts are part of a broader scheme to convert the road from Nizwa, in the northeast of Oman, to Thumrait, in the southern area of the sultanate, into dual carriageway.

Oman’s Transport and Communications Ministry has also received bids for another contract to convert a single track road into dual-carriageway.

The ministry received bids from 12 contractors for the deal, which involves dualising the road from Ibri to Miskin, which is located in the Al-Dhahirah region. 

The low bidder is Iranian contractor Kayson with a price of OR36m. This is 7.5 per cent lower than the price of OR38.9m submitted by the second lowest bidder, the local/Austrian Strabag.

The local Galfar Engineering and Contracting submitted the third lowest bid with a price of OR39.1m.

The other bidders are:

  • Desert Line Projects (local)
  • Khalid bin Ahmed & Sons (local)
  • National United Engineering & Construction Company (local)
  • Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC)
  • China Harbour Engineering Company
  • Makyol (Turkey)
  • Sezai Turkes (Turkey)
  • Al-Naboodah Contracting Company (UAE)
  • Emirates Roads Contracting Company (UAE)

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