HALCROW and US consultant KBR have been awarded the programme management services contract on the $3 billion Bahrain-Qatar Causeway, which will be the world’s longest bridge when complete.

The two companies beat rivals including Mott MacDonald to oversee the contracting consortium on behalf of the client, the Qatar-Bahrain Causeway (QBC) Foundation.
“The foundation is pleased to have KBR, an international company of the highest reputation, working with us,” said Dr Ahmed Hassan Al Hammadi, chairman of the QBC Foundation. “KBR was selected after two competitive tendering events from among five international companies that expressed interest.”
The construction contract for the causeway, also known as the Friendship Bridge, was awarded in May to a consortium led by Qatari Diar and France’s Vinci Construction Grand Projects.
The group includes Germany’s Hochtief, Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company, Belgium’s Dredging International, and the local Middle East Dredging Company.
Denmark’s Cowi is working as the design consultant.
When complete, the Friendship Causeway will link Ras Ashiraj on the west coast of Qatar to Askar on the east coast of Bahrain.
The 40-km project will comprise 18 km of embankments where the sea is shallow and 22 km of viaducts and bridges over deep water, including two 400 m cable-stayed bridges over shipping channels.
It also includes freight and passenger rail lines, providing a direct connection for high-speed freight and passenger rail between Qatar and Bahrain.