Oman’s Diba-lima-khasab road project to be an engineering marvel

Oman’s Diba-lima-khasab road project — with a staggering 21 kilometres of tunnels — promises to be a marvel of road engineering and construction given the mountainous topography through which the alignment runs, say experts.

Although a relatively short 55 km stretch, the proposed carriageway spans plunging valleys and cuts through lofty mountains characteristic of the rugged terrain of Musandam Governorate. But, notwithstanding the steep project cost of a ballpark $1 billion, the project is of immense strategic and economic importance to Musandam’s long-term development, they stress.

According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, which is overseeing the implementation of the landmark project, the Diba-lima-khasab road will provide “dependable all-weather coastal access to the rugged Musandam Peninsula”.

“This is a high-priority project, and its early completion is considered a matter of importance,” tender documents outlining the scope of the venture noted. In the tender, floated last November, the Ministry said it was looking to employ an international construction company or consortium, with the requisite experience and financial strength, to design and construct the Dibalima-khasab road project.

The selected contractor will also be required to operate and maintain the road for a period of 10 years after construction and thereafter hand it back to the government in a specified minimum condition.

As one of the most complex road projects ever to be undertaken in the wider Gulf region, the selected contractor can expect daunting challenges given Musandam’s inhospitable terrain.

As many as nine tunnels are envisioned, aggregating a total distance of 21 kilometres. This is in addition to 14 bridges, nine major junctions, and 11 minor junctions.

Contractors bidding for the prestigious project had a foretaste of some these challenges when they did a site visit in order to do a costing of the Build and Operate scheme. Large swathes of the alignment were inaccessible, underscoring the complexity of the project and the gargantuan engineering challenges that lie ahead.

Interested bidders were asked to submit proposals for the following three options: Option 1 — Design of a single carriageway road, with single bore tunnels, including all appurtenances; Option 2 — Design of a single carriageway road, with dual bore tunnels and appropriate tunnel-to-roadway transitions, including all appurtenances; and Option 3 — Design of a dual carriageway road including all appurtenances.

In yet another option, dubbed the Wadi Muwwa Road option, the client included a 8 km road element, incorporating a 4 km long tunnel, just 20 km west of the start of the project.

Technical offers were opened by the Tender Board last month revealing that two bidders — Galfar Engineering & Contracting of Oman, and Kolin Insaat of Turkey — are in contention for the contract.

WITH A MINDBOGGLING 21 KILOMETRES OF TUNNELS AND 14 BRIDGES, THE 55 KILOMETRES CARRIAGEWAY IN MUSANDAM GOVERNORATE WILL RANK AMONG THE MOST TECHNICALLY COMPLEX ROAD VENTURES IN THE SULTANATE