Roads linking tourist places to get priority

The Ministry Transport, Communications and Information Technology said that many strategic road projects will be taken up on priority this year, including those planned to provide connectivity to important and popular tourist areas.

Key projects that are expected to make progress this year include the alternative road that connects Al Batinah South Governorate to Al Jabal Al Akhdhar, the design and implementation of Wadi Bani Jaber Road (Phase 2) in Al Sharqiyah South, Saih Qatna Road in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar and the road linking Jabal Shams.

The ministry has also floated a tender for the implementation of the new alternative road to Al Jabal Al Akhdhar from Al Batinah South Governorate. According to a top official at the ministry, this road project is important as it will easily link prominent tourist sites with the rest of the country.

“Al Jabal Al Akhdhar is one of them as the place has so much potential. Presently, there is only one road to reach Al Jabal Al Akhdhar which is hard to navigate for smaller cars. So, the ministry is Looking at one or two alternatives where even smaller cars could travel with ease,” he said.

The ministry has invited a tender for supervision and consultancy services for the construction of a road to Jabal Shams in the Wilayat of Al Hamra in the Al Dakhiliyah Governorate. The scope of the work includes about 26.2-km (Phase 1), and 6.1 km (Phase 2). Jabal Shams is the highest peak in the Sultanate of Oman at an altitude of 3,004 metres above sea level, and has plenty of slopes and summits.