Nine bids received to renovate Desert Highway — Halaseh

AMMAN – Minister of Public Works and Housing Sami Halaseh on Tuesday said the ministry has received nine bids to renovate the Desert Highway, which links Amman with southern governorates. 

In a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times, Halaseh said the bids were submitted by consortiums of 27 Jordanian and Saudi contractors, adding that the cost of the renovation project is estimated at $180 million. 

Rehabilitation work of the 220-kilometre highway will be implemented via three tenders through cooperation between Jordanian and Saudi companies, he said. 

The maintenance of the highway will be funded by Saudi Arabia, which also extended a grant to renovate the Airport Road at a cost of nearly JD100 million. 

Halaseh told The Jordan Times previously that the Saudi Fund for Development will extend $65 million in a grant while the rest of the funds will be secured through a soft loan.

Halaseh said that the ministry has recently completed urgent rehabilitation for the highway by mending the most damaged areas of the road. 

Last month, Prime Minister Hani Mulki directed the ministry to revamp damaged areas in the road within four weeks, before comprehensive maintenance is carried out.  

Extending from Amman to Aqaba through Karak, Tafileh and Maan, the road has witnessed deadly car accidents over the past years, prompting a group of lawyers to sue Halaseh over the condition of the highway.