MUSCAT, DEC 30 - The Ministry of Transport will open on January the 191-km stretch of the Sharqiyah Expressway, between Bidbid and Al Kamil W’al Wafi and passing through Wadi Alaq. The road will be put under a trial period for three months, starting from the opening date when only light vehicles will be allowed to use this portion. The ministry said this strategic three-lane road with a design speed of 120km/h will include bridges across wadis over heights up to 90 metres.
The road will also include the first-of-its-kind tunnel projects built in Oman extending to over 2.1 km in total. The first tunnel is located near Nidab village in Samayil that is 650 m long while the second one is located in the mountain range of Wadi Alaq, which is 1,450 metres long. Each tunnel has three lanes in each direction with a design speed of 90km/h with the road designed as per top standards and specifications, keeping in view the road safety and security measures.
There will be a special exit for trucks before every tunnel during the trial period, which will redirect them to the old single road in Wadi Alaq.
With tunnel projects implemented for the first time in Oman, the ministry has urged all motorists to follow the signboards with warning and instructions as well the necessary safety measures while entering the tunnels. Sharqiyah Expressway will be linked to Muscat Expressway through the first part of Al Rusayl-Bidbid road.
The ministry will be releasing safety instructions through its official social media pages. The 35-km-long road consists of two parts, the first from Muscat Expressway junction to Bidbid junction. The second part will be from Burj Al Sahwa roundabout till Muscat Expressway junction. The project includes the construction of four lanes in each direction (19.5-metre-wide) and a median strip (4.5-metre-wide).
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