New projects to ease road traffic in Oman

Muscat: More than 10 important road projects will be completed in 2016, making travel across various sectors in Oman a lot easier and faster.
This includes the Bid Bid Sur Road, a portion of the Al Batinah Expressway, Nizwa to Ibri (second stage), Mahda to Al Rawda in Buraimi, Sinaw to Mahoot and to Duqm, the Al Rustaq mountainous toad, the Dhank road to Al Khabib, Samad Al Shan to Wadi Indam, Qutbait to Marsud road and Camel Race road in Adam, Al Dakhiliyah, according to the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
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Besides this, several interior roads and tunnels will be constructed in Al Mudhabi and Al Batinah.
Altogether, 49 road projects are under construction at a cost of OMR2.1 billion, and cover a road stretch of 1,650 kilometres (km) in addition to roundabouts, flyovers and tunnels, data from the Ministry of Transport said.
Meanwhile, seven projects for the construction of cuts across roads are under execution at a cost of OMR7.5 million. The road length is 96 km, while the annual maintenance cost for asphalt roads and off roads is estimated to reach OMR9.5 million in 2016.
Ministry of Transport and Communications officials said travel time to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be cut short after a portion of the Al Batinah Expressway is opened this year.
Eight lanes
“Whether for drivers coming to Oman from the neighbouring countries or the other way around, they will no longer need to use the current road as the new one has eight lanes, which will eventually save time,” said Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al Yarubi, director of the Land Transport Department, Ministry of Transport and Communications.
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He added that the new road will reduce the gridlock, which motorists are currently facing while travelling to neighbouring countries.
New parts of the Al Batinah Expressway, Barka-Al Hazm interchange and Liwa-Khatmat Milah are expected to be completed in 2016.
The Al Batinah Expressway has been divided into six packages, with a total length of 265 km stretching from Halban in the wilayat of Barka to Khatmat Milaha in the wilayat of Shinas.
In July, 2015, the Ministry of Transport had opened the first part of Al Batinah expressway, which runs from Muscat to Barka.
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