Diriyah: Nesma awarded SAR1.2bn transportation contract

Diriyah Development Company, a subsidiary of Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), has awarded a SAR1.2bn transportation contract to Nesma & Partners.

The contract to Nesma, one of Saudi’s largest industrial and engineering companies, covers the construction of a network of road tunnels, ramps and a major bridge deck that will form the principal Diriyah Interchange on Riyadh’s Western Ring Road (WRR).

The main elements of the contract are the demolition of two existing motorway bridges, the relocation of major public utilities, 1.5 million cubic meters of rock excavation, the construction of a network of road tunnels, ramps and a major bridge structure, incorporating 350 thousand cubic metres of concrete and 60 thousand tonnes of steel reinforcement.

The WRR will provide seamless traffic access and egress between all Diriyah Gate zones and the Saudi Arabian capital’s arterial motorway system.

The tunnels within the project will form part of a 2.1km, one-way, 4-6 lane revolving road system underneath Diriyah Square. The subterranean roundabout to facilitate intuitive, easy vehicle access and egress from Diriyah.

“Our vision for Diriyah Square is a beautiful, pedestrianised mixed-use space that prioritises walkability for locals and visitors. This forthcoming tunnel connection to the gigantic underground car park and the Heroes’ Park Deck is essential to realising this vision. Its construction will create approximately 2,500 jobs,” said Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO, DGDA.

In December, as part of the SAR190bn transformation of the Diriyah located 15-minutes north-west of Riyadh city centre, the DGDA announced the first 14 of its planned 38 hotel brands that will establish themselves in the city. The hotels include Address Hotels & Resorts, Campbell Gray Hotels and Resorts, Capella Hotels and Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Orient Express, Raffles, Park Hyatt, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and The Luxury Collection, among others.