Gulf Construction Online - $1.4bn UAE-Saudi highway on track

UAE Focus

$1.4bn UAE-Saudi highway on track

01 June 2016

Abu Dhabi General Services Company (Musanada) said work was progressing well on the Dh5.3-billion ($1.44 billion) Mafraq-Ghuwaifat International Highway, linking western region cities and facilitating commercial transport on the international road.

The project, being implemented by Musanada in collaboration with the Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport (DMAT), extends from Mafraq to the international borders with Saudi Arabia at Ghuwaifat, passing through the Al Ruwais industrial centre.

The scope of work includes the construction of 15 new upper interchanges, along with basic improvements to the existing interchanges at Mafraq, Hameem, Abu Al Abyad and Madinat Zayed interchanges, as well as major improvements on the existing interchanges, bringing the total improvement works up to 246 km long.

On the project, Faisal Al Suwaidi, DMAT’s director of main roads divisions, said: “It complements several other projects that aim to accommodate the expected increase in traffic volume, in order to keep pace with the accelerated growth experienced across all areas, besides improving the traffic safety on roads, eliminating congestions due to the huge numbers of vehicles using this road, reducing the number of traffic accidents and increasing safety ratios and facilitating commercial land transport with neighbouring countries.”

Hamdan Ahmed Al Mazrouei, the acting roads director at Musanada, said: “The project encompasses construction of new lanes in both directions, from two to four lanes in each direction along the 182-km-long section stretching from Mafraq until Baynounah Forest area, and from two to three lanes along the 46-km-long section from Baraka to Ghuwaifat.”

The project encompasses construction of lay-bys for road users (such as vehicles and trucks), he stated.

“The new road will be raised in many locations along the highway to avoid the impact of ground water whilst helping drain rainwater, in light of the expected increase of traffic volume upon handover of the project in 2017,” noted Al Mazrouei.

And as part of Musanada’s commitment in the area of green sustainability, the new project has been supplied with LED (light emitting diode) lighting systems which will achieve a minimum of 60 per cent reduction in energy consumption, he added.