Muscat – The municipality is ensuring speedy completion of the projects, taking into consideration that the work does not affect the flow of traffic during the upcoming autumn season. Towards this end, it is developing traffic control plans and necessary diversions in coordination with the Royal Oman Police
The municipality also confirmed that the roads incorporated into the projects for the dualization of Sultan Qaboos Street, Sultan Taimur Street, Al Farouq Street, and Ateen Tunnel would be open for traffic by the end of June 2025.

Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Baouin, Director General of the Directorate General of Projects and Technical Affairs at Dhofar Municipality, said in a statement to Oman News Agency that the contractual value of the Sultan Qaboos Street dualization project amounts to RO 16.3 million, and includes the implementation of a dualization of the street from the traffic signals located north of Qasr Al-Hosn to the Dahariz roundabout, with a length of 9 kilometers. It consists of two lanes in each direction, in addition to internal shoulders, longitudinal parking spaces and a service road in the Dahariz area with a length of 800 meters.

He added that most of the encroachments on the Sultan Qaboos Street dual carriageway project have been removed by Dhofar Municipality, indicating that the initial preparation works and replacement of agricultural soil with suitable soil began at the end of August 2024. He explained that the project includes a number of traffic lights at the main intersections and the necessary protection works, in addition to the construction of two pedestrian bridges in the Al Dahariz and Al Hafa areas, alongside box culverts and a network for draining rainwater.

Regarding the Al Farooq Street dual carriageway project, he pointed out that construction work on the RO 4.5 million project began at the end of March 2024 and will continue for two years. In the coming period, paving work will begin after the completion of the implementation of the box crossings and concrete barriers. He explained that the implementation of the project starts from Al Maamoura – Razat Street to the intersection with the Salalah – Muscat Road, with a length of 7.6 kilometres, and consists of two lanes in each direction, service roads with a width of 7 meters in each direction and longitudinal parking on both sides of the road. Additionally, there will be three traffic lights, box culverts and an integrated network for draining rainwater.

As for the Sultan Taimur Street dualization project, at a cost of RO 5.7 million, he indicated that construction work on the site began in early April 2024 and will continue for two years. He explained that the project includes the implementation of a dualization of 6.8 km in length, and includes parking lots for shops, pedestrian walkways and traffic signals at intersections, in addition to rainwater drainage and lighting works.

In the field of improving the flow of traffic at the intersection of November 18 Street with Ateen Street, Dr. Baouin said that work on the Ateen Tunnel project, at a cost of RO 7.5 million, began in early April 2024 and will continue for two years. He indicated that the implementation of the side service roads has been completed, and that most of the diversions will be completed in the first half of November, according to the work plan. Work on the tunnel will begin in the middle of next month, with traffic movement expected by the end of June 2025.

He added that the tunnel project aims to increase the flow of traffic at the intersection of 18th November Street and Atin Street by replacing the current roundabout with a tunnel extending 1,350 km and comprising 4 lanes. The project also includes expanding 18th November Street to 4 lanes in each direction with a length of 2.7 km, with the implementation of bypass roads in the four directions, in addition to 7 service roads, entrances and exits in the four directions, as the total length of the roads in the project exceeds 9 km.

It is worth noting that Dhofar Municipality is in the process of implementing other development projects such as constructing a bridge at the intersection of Rabat Street with Al Nahda Street, developing the waterfront in both Al Dahariz and Awqad areas in Salalah, as well as many waterfronts in the governorate’s wilayats as part of its efforts to develop infrastructure, improve the quality of services, develop tourist sites, increase green spaces and environmental sanitationin order to achieve the goals of Oman Vision 2040.