Emirates Business 24-7, 10 March 2010
Qatar's Public Works Authority (Ashghal) will award five contracts worth QR40 billion (Dh40.34bn) in the next three months, a senior official told Emirates Business.
"We are going to award five projects in three to four months worth QR40bn approximately. This is part of the budgeted $20bn (Dh73.46bn)," said Jamal Al Kaabi, Acting Manager, Ashghal Design Department.
Qatar, which holds the world's third-largest natural gas reserves after Russia and Iran, has earmarked $20bn to develop road and infrastructure projects during 2009-2014. About 10 per cent to 15 per cent of this amount has been used, he said.
"While $12bn is earmarked for road and infrastructure like electrical wiring, water, rail, roads, street lighting and road furniture, $8bn is for drainage," he added.
"But we won't stop here. There is still the Doha big crossing, the outer rings and the sub-sea tunnel between the capital's new airport and our new financial centre to be built. These are under study."
Ashgal has received proposals for a private public partnership (PPP) but is awaiting the outcome of Abu Dhabi's Dh10bn Mafraq-Ghweifat motorway, the region's first transport PPP.
"It is still to be looked at," Al Kaabi said. "We want to see Abu Dhabi's experience as it is evaluating tenders. We want to see when they open the bids whether they are high or low."
Ashghal is set to award the Dukhan Road project (phase 3) this month or early next month. Tenders for this 25.4km road with five interchanges are currently under technical and commercial evaluation. The first phase is already completed while phase two is going on. Among the projects that will be awarded are the F ring road project, which will link the New Doha International Airport (NDIA), alongwith the East-West Corridor.
F-Ring Road forms phase 12 of the Doha Expressway that aims to link the country's north to the south, and is approximately 11km long, extending from the Abu-Hamour-Al Muntazah junction up to NDIA.
Another is Dukhan, the Shahaniya-Rayyan roundabouts route, which is a major highway. It has about 7.5km four-lane dual-carriageway with five interchanges, and passes through Education City. It forms part of phase I of the Dukhan Highway.
The 11km Lusail Street project will also be awarded, with completion slated in 2013.
According to the Ashghal plan, nine projects are scheduled to start this year, four of them are to be finished by 2012 and the other five to be completed by 2013.
There are 22 projects in the pipeline, all to be completed between 2012 and 2017, the document showed.
This does not include the 12-kilometre sub-sea tunnel, which is slated to cost more than $1bn. During the boom, 80 per cent of projects have been delayed due to contractors' failure to finish on time as well as the lack of coordination between utility providers.
"Urban planning is an issue and an utility as well.
I believe there shouldn't be any delay. But if there is, it should be justified," said Al Kaabi.
Projects scheduled to start this year
- Project No1 - East West Corridor Ph1
Length - 18.6 km, Interchange 4, 2010-12
- Project No2 - East West Corridor Ph2
Length - 8.2km, Interchange 3, 2010-12
- Project No3 - F-Ring Road
Length - 10.9km, Interchange 4, 2010-12
- Project No4 - Salwa Road Ph2
Length - 9.5km, Interchange 4, 2010-12
- Project No5 - Lusail Street
Length - 11.4km, Interchange 6, 2010-13
- Project No6+7 - Dukhan Road Ph2 and 3
Length - 25.4km, Interchange 5, 2010-13
- Project No8 - Al muntazah Road
- Project No9 - East Industrial Road
Length - 13.9km, Interchange 4, 2010-13
By Karen Remo-Listana
Published by: Zawya.Com
Qatar's Public Works Authority (Ashghal) will award five contracts worth QR40 billion (Dh40.34bn) in the next three months, a senior official told Emirates Business.
"We are going to award five projects in three to four months worth QR40bn approximately. This is part of the budgeted $20bn (Dh73.46bn)," said Jamal Al Kaabi, Acting Manager, Ashghal Design Department.
Qatar, which holds the world's third-largest natural gas reserves after Russia and Iran, has earmarked $20bn to develop road and infrastructure projects during 2009-2014. About 10 per cent to 15 per cent of this amount has been used, he said.
"While $12bn is earmarked for road and infrastructure like electrical wiring, water, rail, roads, street lighting and road furniture, $8bn is for drainage," he added.
"But we won't stop here. There is still the Doha big crossing, the outer rings and the sub-sea tunnel between the capital's new airport and our new financial centre to be built. These are under study."
Ashgal has received proposals for a private public partnership (PPP) but is awaiting the outcome of Abu Dhabi's Dh10bn Mafraq-Ghweifat motorway, the region's first transport PPP.
"It is still to be looked at," Al Kaabi said. "We want to see Abu Dhabi's experience as it is evaluating tenders. We want to see when they open the bids whether they are high or low."
Ashghal is set to award the Dukhan Road project (phase 3) this month or early next month. Tenders for this 25.4km road with five interchanges are currently under technical and commercial evaluation. The first phase is already completed while phase two is going on. Among the projects that will be awarded are the F ring road project, which will link the New Doha International Airport (NDIA), alongwith the East-West Corridor.
F-Ring Road forms phase 12 of the Doha Expressway that aims to link the country's north to the south, and is approximately 11km long, extending from the Abu-Hamour-Al Muntazah junction up to NDIA.
Another is Dukhan, the Shahaniya-Rayyan roundabouts route, which is a major highway. It has about 7.5km four-lane dual-carriageway with five interchanges, and passes through Education City. It forms part of phase I of the Dukhan Highway.
The 11km Lusail Street project will also be awarded, with completion slated in 2013.
According to the Ashghal plan, nine projects are scheduled to start this year, four of them are to be finished by 2012 and the other five to be completed by 2013.
There are 22 projects in the pipeline, all to be completed between 2012 and 2017, the document showed.
This does not include the 12-kilometre sub-sea tunnel, which is slated to cost more than $1bn. During the boom, 80 per cent of projects have been delayed due to contractors' failure to finish on time as well as the lack of coordination between utility providers.
"Urban planning is an issue and an utility as well.
I believe there shouldn't be any delay. But if there is, it should be justified," said Al Kaabi.
Projects scheduled to start this year
- Project No1 - East West Corridor Ph1
Length - 18.6 km, Interchange 4, 2010-12
- Project No2 - East West Corridor Ph2
Length - 8.2km, Interchange 3, 2010-12
- Project No3 - F-Ring Road
Length - 10.9km, Interchange 4, 2010-12
- Project No4 - Salwa Road Ph2
Length - 9.5km, Interchange 4, 2010-12
- Project No5 - Lusail Street
Length - 11.4km, Interchange 6, 2010-13
- Project No6+7 - Dukhan Road Ph2 and 3
Length - 25.4km, Interchange 5, 2010-13
- Project No8 - Al muntazah Road
- Project No9 - East Industrial Road
Length - 13.9km, Interchange 4, 2010-13
By Karen Remo-Listana
Published by: Zawya.Com
0 comments:
Post a Comment