Tender documents for desert road project approved

AMMAN — Public Works Minister Sami Halaseh on Tuesday held a meeting with an engineering team from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) to review and approve the documents of the tender for the implementation of the desert highway rehabilitation project.

They accredited floating the tender through three sets, each of which is composed of a consortium of one Saudi contractor and two Jordanians, according to a ministry statement.

Rehabilitation work entails a complete rebuilding of the 220km road extending from the Queen Alia International Airport intersection to Mreigha-Ras Al Naqab area.

Supervision tenders for implementing the three sets will be floated to include consortiums of one Saudi councillor and a Jordanian councillor who are experienced in the field, the statement added.

Funded by SFD, the project’s total cost is $170 million, divided into a $65 million grant signed last November and a $105 million soft loan, Halaseh told The Jordan Times in a recent interview. Work will be carried out over six stages over a total duration of 18 months. 

The desert road extends from Amman to Aqaba and passes through Karak, Tafileh and Maan. Over the past few years, the desert road has witnessed several deadly car accidents.