Muscat Municipality continues to make excellent headway in the construction of a major interchange at Wadi Adai roundabout — a key infrastructure project designed to address long-standing traffic congestion at this gateway into the wilayats of Al Amerat and Qurayat.

The project, billed as the first-of-its-kind in Oman in terms of its multi-level configuration and choice of innovative construction technology, is being executed by Federici Stirling Batco LLC at a cost of around RO 19 million. The centrepiece of the interchange project is a new steel bridge that will soar above the existing flyover at the Wadi Adai junction, making a first-ever three-level road network at the junction. The steel bridge will be built on concrete pillars that at their highest point will rise to 19 metres above ground level.

From the Al Amerat side, the new steel bridge will start from a point abutting the mosque close to the Wadi Adai junction. Soaring above the flyover, it goes around the hillock located on the other side of the junction and connects with the existing Ruwi-Qurum carriageway. Also as part of the interchange project, a second bridge will be built taking traffic from the Ruwi side over 1336926230546966400 the flyover and into the Al Amerat carriageway in a seamless flow that will significantly ameliorate congestion at this busy junction.

The second bridge, which unlike the first will be built entirely from concrete, will also skirt the same hillock before it climbs above the existing flyover to merge with the steel bridge. The existing roundabout will also be signalised. In all, 2 km of dual-lane bridge structures and access ramps will be a built as part of the Wadi Adai Interchange project. Special weathering steel, also known as ‘Corten Steel’, will be used in the fabrication of the girders for the steel bridge.

Corten steel represents a group of steel alloys which were developed to obviate the need for painting, and form a stable rust-like appearance if exposed to the weather. Around 3,000 tonnes of Corten steel will be used in the manufacture of the girders at a special facility in Italy. The girders are being shipped to Muscat via Port Sultan Qaboos in around 12 consignments for assembly at site. Italian specialists are be on hand to oversee the construction of a blacktop, consisting of a layer of concrete and asphalt, on top of the steel bridge.

The incorporation of a steel bridge into 1336926276796972700 the interchange project will significant reduce construction time, as well as make possible the implementation of the project notwithstanding the heavy traffic flow. Because it can be fabricated elsewhere and brought to site for erection, the steel bridge component will minimise impacts to flowing traffic. The construction site’s location in the midst of one of Muscat’s busiest junctions poses tremendous challenges for both Muscat Municipality in the smooth execution of the project.

Tailbacks, which have been inevitable during peak hours, are being addressed through route diversions and other measures. When completed, this project will help channel the flow of traffic to and from Al Amerat (and Qurayat beyond) in a smooth and seamless fashion.