Muscat – Commenting on the news of the tender bid to expand Muscat Expressway, Dr. Ahmed Al Futaisi, former Minister of Transport, Communication and Information Technology, took to Twitter to state: “The Muscat Expressway has been upgraded again by expanding it to 6 traffic lanes in each direction, which contributes to the flow of traffic and enhances the competitiveness of the Sultanate of Oman globally. I wish those in charge of the project good luck and success.”

Sharing Muscat Municipality’s notice regarding the tender for the implementation of Muscat Expressway Expansion Project to enhance the flow of traffic and reduce congestion, Khalid Aljahwar, a Meteorology graduate, posed this question: “Royal orders to expand Muscat Expressway to 6 lanes in each direction – In your opinion, will the problem of crowding be solved, or is there still a need for a metro network?”

Another Twitter user, Naif Alfarsi, wrote, “The decision to expand Muscat Expressway to 6 lanes certainly contributes to the flow of traffic. I hope that in the future we will not be forced to expand the streets again with the increase in population density. The presence of modern means of transportation is extremely important in the near future so that the large number of streets does not spoil the aesthetics of Muscat.”  

The busy Muscat Expressway, which was inaugurated on the occasion of Oman’s 40^th National Day in 2010, has proven to be a boon for regular users by mitigating traffic congestion and providing easy and fast connectivity to prominent landmarks in the capital.

In a series of notices issued online, the Muscat Municipality indicated that the tender to implement the expansion project is a translation of the Royal orders of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to enhance the flow of traffic and reduce congestion.

As per a notice, the expansion starts from Al Qurm Interchange to Halban Interchange and extends 1 lane in each direction to connect the Muscat Expressway to Al Batinah Expressway.

The project to expand the highway to six lanes in each direction, making it the widest road in Oman, also includes extension of existing bridges, works related to intersections, water drainage channels, slope protection works, floor paving works, protection and service transformation work, concrete barriers and guardrails, and replacing of previous lighting with environmentally friendly system.

The project aims to facilitate movement of people by enhancing the flow of traffic; improve the movement of goods transportation to contribute to advancing the national economy; and strengthen the infrastructure of the capital in proportion to the pace of population growth.

The project is in alignment with Oman Vision 2040 and its pivotal role in enhancing transportation infrastructure.