MUSCAT, 2 September 2007 — Six new bridges will be constructed along the Seeb Corniche as part of Muscat Municipality’s plan to rebuild this key stretch after it suffered major damage during last June’s cyclone.
A number of leading Omani road construction firms are bidding for the contract to rebuild a 12.4-kilometer stretch of the damaged dual carriageway. Final bids are due by Sept. 10, 2007.
Far from merely carrying out repairs to the Corniche, consultants appointed by the municipality have a plan to secure the reconstructed road from possible damage by future floods as well as wave action, the state-run Oman Observer reported yesterday.
Accordingly, six bridges will be built spanning flood channels, which intersect the Corniche en route to the sea. The largest of these bridges will be about 360 meters long, while all six will run a total length of about one kilometer.
Reconstruction of the Corniche, a popular stretch frequented by strollers and local residents, particularly on weekends and holidays, has high priority. Rock rivetments will help secure the road from the seaside, while ripraps will be provided on the landside. The project cost is estimated at tens of millions of Omani riyals, given the large quantities of steel and concrete that will go into construction of the bridges.
With a timeframe of 18 months, the road project is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2009. In tandem with the project, Muscat Municipality has also initiated plans to rebuild the Wadi Adai-Al-Amerat carriageway, as well as the Qurum-Al-Sarooj beach road, both of which suffered extensive damage during June’s unusual weather. As with the Seeb Corniche road project, bridges will also replace drainage culverts in the reconstruction of the other carriageways.
