Muscat Galfar Engineering and Contracting Company has been awarded a 138.92 million Omani riyals (Dh1.32 billion) contract for the construction of 45 kilometres of the first phase of the Al Batinah South Expressway.
"It is a qualitative leap in the ministry's strategy to build roads, considering that this road is one of the vital roads in the Sultanate," said Dr Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Salim Al Futaisi, Transport and Communications Minister.
The minister added that the contract includes converting the existing Barka roundabout to multi-level crossroads. The traffic movement between Muscat and Sohar will be lifted by a three-lane bridge on each side.
The U-turn traffic will be managed by traffic lights, in addition to doubling the road between the express road and Barka roundabout.
He said the Al Batinah Expressway would consist of four lanes in each direction, thus opening the door for greater economic growth in the region.
The first eight-lane expressway in the country will start from where Muscat Expressway ends in Birka and go up to Khatmat Melahah in Shinas, covering about 265 km.
He said the Al Batinah Expressway project is one of the new development projects included in the eighth Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).
