Affected roads to be restored in 12-24 months

Efforts are in full swing to restore infrastructure damaged by cyclone Shaheen in North and South Al Batinah governorates. Besides, tenders have been awarded for the rehabilitation of roads, which will be completed in 12 to 24 months.

Eng Khamis bin Mohammed al Shamaki, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Transport, said, following directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to speed up the restoration of the affected infrastructure, the ministry, in cooperation with other public and private institutions, activated the emergency and response plan to reopen roads that were affected by100 percent.

Shaheen damaged Al Batinah road, Wadi Bani Omar road, Wadi Al Hawasna road, Suhar-Yanqul road, Wadi Shafan road, Wadi Al Jahawir road, Wadi A Sarmi road, Wadi Al Qunoot road, in addition to some roads in Al Dhahirah Governorate, where the scale of the damages varied on the main and secondary roads in the layers of asphalt, the main layers, viaducts and bridges, leading to a complete interruption of the traffic movement on those roads for varying periods, he said.

Given the importance of the damaged roads, quick packages were assigned to repair with several companies submitted their offers and evaluation. The first package of road rehabilitation works was awarded to Galfar Engineering and Contracting which will be entrusted with repairing the damages on the Al Batinah road and the construction of a number of new viaducts in Bidiya area in the Wilayat of Al Suwaiq, as well as the construction of a new 300-meter valley bridge and the construction of a number of viaducts in addition to restoring installing and operating damaged street lighting, the official said.

The second package of the repair and rehabilitation works was assigned to Strabag Oman and Al Sarooj which will undertake road maintenance works in Wadi Bani Omar, Wadi Al Hawasna, Wadi Al Jahawir, Wadi Al Sarmi and Wadi Shafan, Al Shamaki said adding that the second package involves dealing with all damages on roads and the restoration of the pre-Shaheen condition as well as some improvements on some roads.