Work to start on new UAE highway

Sharjah: Construction on a highway connecting Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah is expected to begin in April. The new road will be parallel to an existing one and will be completed in phases, said the Ministry of Public Works and Housing.

The first will cover a 27 km stretch from the industrial area in Sharjah to Ajman in the northeast. It will connect Sharjah to Ras Al Khaimah Road, 10 km from the Umm Al Quwain interchange. Five interchanges will be built on this highway.

As part of this project, the ministry is planning to renovate the existing road in Sharjah, which stretches to Al Shouhada (Martyr's) roundabout in Ras Al Khaimah. This will be done by revamping interchanges and building concrete barriers for the safety of motorists. The road will stretch to the Ring Road, which will be connected to Ras Al Khaimah in the future.

In the second phase, a 90 km road will be built, stretching from Al Sajah-Al Khawaneej interchange in Dubai to Al Dhaid in Sharjah and Al Rams in Ras Al Khaimah.

Abu Dhabi: A Dh87 million ($23 million) project to develop Al Ain Zoological Park is under way. The programme is being carried out in phases, said a source at the Municipality and Town Planning Department.

The first phase, named 'Africa Close up', calls for the construction of larger enclosures for the animals and better viewing areas for visitors. The veterinary hospital and maintenance workshop will also be upgraded, and a Dh7 million section for reptiles built.

The zoo, which covers 770 hectares, is one of the largest in the UAE. It houses more than 2,100 mammals, in addition to hundreds of birds. The project is part of a master plan to develop Al Ain to meet the emirate's growth until 2015.

Sharjah: The longest mountain pass in the Middle East has been commissioned in the UAE. The 1,280-m tunnel, which connects Wadi Al Helou and Kalba, was opened to traffic at the end of last month.

The tunnel, equipped with the latest gadgets, has five main alarms and security systems. It also has two control rooms at the entrance and exit, providing information on malfunctions or accidents in the tunnel.

A circular exit constructed mid-way through the tunnel will open later to connect another tunnel expected to be built parallel to this one. Each of these is expected to have two lanes. The tunnel shortens the travelling time between Kalba and Sharjah by half an hour.

A second tunnel being built parallel to the present tunnel is expected to be 1,250 m long. It is expected to ease traffic flow between the eastern and western coast of the UAE.

Dubai: The contract to develop the $2.2 billion Umm Al Nar independent water and power project has been awarded to a consortium of UK's International Power, and Mitsui & Co and Tokyo Electric Power Company of Japan which beat off France's TotalFinaElf to win the deal. Umm Al Nar is Abu Dhabi's fourth IWPP.

The Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea) has invited the consortium for further talks to finalise the contract. The agreement is expected to be signed this month and a finance deal completed by mid-June. The consortium will own 40 per cent of a special purpose vehicle set up to develop and operate the Umm Al Nar complex. The remaining equity will be held by Adwea.

The Umm Al Nar complex, east of Abu Dhabi, will have a capacity of 1,100 MW of power and 100 million gallons per day (mgpd) of water.

Dubai: Fujairah port has recently awarded the Dh53 million ($14.4 million) Phase II expansion work to Six Construct, according to a senior official.

The port's expansion comes at a time when the fear of war against Iraq is expected to put additional pressure on the East Coast ports, mainly Fujairah, which has enjoyed double-digit growth in recent years.

"We have awarded the 25-month contract to Six Construct, to carry out the construction of a 600 m quay that will increase the length of the existing quay to 1.4 km. Besides, a further 120 m will be added to the existing 120 m quay at the northern breakwater," said Captain Musa Murad, general manager of Port of Fujairah.

Dubai: Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) says it received a strong response from the industry at the recent Arab Health Exhibition 2003. More than 10,000 people visited the DHCC stand and were updated on the project.

Saeed Al Muntafiq, director-general of the Dubai Development and Investment Authority, said international healthcare institutions had offered their services and education for the proposed billion-dollar project.

Ajman: A Dh25 million ($6.8 million) flyover in the Al Hamidiya area of Ajman has been opened to traffic. The six-lane flyover connects Sharjah and Ajman with Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah.

Mercato aluminium works

Union Industries undertook the aluminium works on the Mercato Mall, not Arabian Aluminium as stated in Gulf Construction's February 2003 issue.