Oman to appoint PMC for Musandam road project
By Conrad Prabhu -
MUSCAT — A tender was floated here yesterday for the selection of a Project Management Consultant (PMC) to oversee the implementation of one of Oman’s most significant road projects.
Although a mere 65km in length, the Daba-Lima-Khasab carriageway in Musandam Governorate is being billed as one of the country’s most expensive road undertakings, in light of the large number of tunnels, wadi bridges, interchanges and junctions it will encompass. Project costs are estimated at a ballpark $1 billion, say experts.
Traversing rugged terrain, characterised by steep mountain massifs and plunging wadis, the road’s construction, nevertheless, promises to open up the governorate to significant economic, commercial and tourism investment.
Development of this strategically important venture is being spearheaded by the Directorate-General of Roads and Land Transport at Oman’s Ministry of Transport and Communications. Well-known engineering consultant COWI is advising the Ministry in the preliminary design.
A number of international contracting firms with the requisite expertise in bridge and tunnel construction have been prequalified by the Tender Board to participate in the next phase of a competitive tender for the implementation of the project.
According to officials, the appointment of a Project Management Consultant has been imperative in light of the unique and challenging nature of the project. The successful bidder will execute a 65km stretch from Al Khalidya to Daba as part of a contract that also calls for the construction of seven tunnels aggregating a total length of 7.320 kilometres. The largest is a 2.2-kilometre-long tunnel, which will be the longest of its kind in the Sultanate.
Also envisaged en route are a total of 18 wadi bridges extending a total distance of 3.790 kilometres. The longest of these bridges is 420 metres. In addition, two major interchange bridges will be built at key intersections along the route.
A novel feature is the application of the Design, Build and Operate (DBO) procurement template — for the first time in Oman’s road construction sector — in the implementation of this project. Thus in addition to building the carriageway, the selected contractor will also be required to operate and maintain all assets linked to the venture for a 20-year period.
A DBO procurement strategy has been chosen keeping in mind the difficult terrain and geological conditions of the route, which may necessitate certain flexibility in design to allow for minor alignment changes during construction.
Furthermore, with tunnels being a new aspect to the Sultanate’s road network, the Ministry aims to attract the most experienced contractors in the construction, operation and maintenance of these assets. Additionally, the selected contractor will also be responsible for training Omani staff in the operation and maintenance of the project, as well as the proposed tunnel control centre, prior to the expiry of the 20-year O&M contract.
In addition to the series of tunnels and bridges envisaged en route, the carriageway will also feature 14 T-junctions and four other major junctions. Around 30 million metres of excavation and filling will be undertaken in the course of the project’s implementation.
The 65-km stretch, representing Section 2 of the carriageway project, will take a total of three years to execute. (OEPPA Business Development Dept)
MUSCAT — A tender was floated here yesterday for the selection of a Project Management Consultant (PMC) to oversee the implementation of one of Oman’s most significant road projects.
Although a mere 65km in length, the Daba-Lima-Khasab carriageway in Musandam Governorate is being billed as one of the country’s most expensive road undertakings, in light of the large number of tunnels, wadi bridges, interchanges and junctions it will encompass. Project costs are estimated at a ballpark $1 billion, say experts.
Traversing rugged terrain, characterised by steep mountain massifs and plunging wadis, the road’s construction, nevertheless, promises to open up the governorate to significant economic, commercial and tourism investment.
Development of this strategically important venture is being spearheaded by the Directorate-General of Roads and Land Transport at Oman’s Ministry of Transport and Communications. Well-known engineering consultant COWI is advising the Ministry in the preliminary design.
A number of international contracting firms with the requisite expertise in bridge and tunnel construction have been prequalified by the Tender Board to participate in the next phase of a competitive tender for the implementation of the project.
According to officials, the appointment of a Project Management Consultant has been imperative in light of the unique and challenging nature of the project. The successful bidder will execute a 65km stretch from Al Khalidya to Daba as part of a contract that also calls for the construction of seven tunnels aggregating a total length of 7.320 kilometres. The largest is a 2.2-kilometre-long tunnel, which will be the longest of its kind in the Sultanate.
Also envisaged en route are a total of 18 wadi bridges extending a total distance of 3.790 kilometres. The longest of these bridges is 420 metres. In addition, two major interchange bridges will be built at key intersections along the route.
A novel feature is the application of the Design, Build and Operate (DBO) procurement template — for the first time in Oman’s road construction sector — in the implementation of this project. Thus in addition to building the carriageway, the selected contractor will also be required to operate and maintain all assets linked to the venture for a 20-year period.
A DBO procurement strategy has been chosen keeping in mind the difficult terrain and geological conditions of the route, which may necessitate certain flexibility in design to allow for minor alignment changes during construction.
Furthermore, with tunnels being a new aspect to the Sultanate’s road network, the Ministry aims to attract the most experienced contractors in the construction, operation and maintenance of these assets. Additionally, the selected contractor will also be responsible for training Omani staff in the operation and maintenance of the project, as well as the proposed tunnel control centre, prior to the expiry of the 20-year O&M contract.
In addition to the series of tunnels and bridges envisaged en route, the carriageway will also feature 14 T-junctions and four other major junctions. Around 30 million metres of excavation and filling will be undertaken in the course of the project’s implementation.
The 65-km stretch, representing Section 2 of the carriageway project, will take a total of three years to execute. (OEPPA Business Development Dept)
Tuesday 20th, May 2014 / 20:10 Written by
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