KUWAIT CITY, Oct 23: Minister of Public Works Dr. Noura Al-Mashaan signed 18 contracts on Wednesday for comprehensive maintenance of roads in Kuwait. Minister Al-Mashaan expressed her optimism that all roads will be modified and maintained through these contracts in a state-issued on the sidelines of the contract signing ceremony. She urged all citizens and residents to cooperate with relevant authorities as some roads will be closed for maintenance work shortly. The minister explained that all of Kuwait’s roads, from the First Ring Road to the Seventh Ring Road, including Salmi Road, Abdali Road, and the internal roads will undergo maintenance.

The work will be carried out by international, Gulf, and local companies, with immediate efforts focused on the most affected areas, followed by others. Meanwhile, the acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Public Works Eid Al-Rashidi revealed in a statement issued yesterday that six contracts were signed for expressways and 12 contracts for internal roads. Al-Rashidi extended his congratulations to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al- Khaled, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah, and the people of Kuwait on the signing of these contracts. He affirmed that these contracts will lead to a qualitative shift in the State of Kuwait and will push forward the wheel of economic development, within the framework of the directives of the country’s political leadership. Al-Rashidi indicated that the ministry has launched an electronic system to monitor road repair work in real-time, which will allow ministry leaders to ensure safety and quality as well as deal with any challenges that may arise.

In a similar statement, Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Roads and Transportation (PART) Eng. Khaled Al-Osaimi announced that, for the first time in Kuwait, 18 contracts have been signed for road maintenance across all six governorates, with two contracts for each governorate, and six contracts for expressways. He revealed that the total value of these contracts is approximately KD 400 million, distributed among the 18 contracts for expressways and internal roads, adding that the duration of each contract is three years. Eng. Al-Osaimi stressed that the specifications for the asphalt mixture and materials to be used have been established, adding that neutral laboratories will be activated for all contracts to ensure quality control over the materials utilized in the asphalt mixtures.

He affirmed the importance of determining the sources of the materials used He explained that a memorandum has been signed with the United Arab Emirates to ensure the concrete is thoroughly examined and all aspects are covered. The contracts include an initial five-year warranty and a ten-year warranty. The Salmi Road contract will be executed by the Turkish Company “Limak” and a Qatari company in two governorates. The remaining contracts will be executed by local companies. A committee has been established to select the engineers supervising these contracts based on assessments to ensure their capability in managing these projects.

By Mohammed Ghanem
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff