Qatar–Bahrain Friendship Bridge

The Qatar–Bahrain Friendship Bridge is a long-discussed bridge that is to be built between the two Gulf states of Qatar and Bahrain.

The link will be about 45 kilometers (28 mi) long. The beginning of the causeway in Qatar will be located at Ras Ashairij area, five kilometers South of the city of Al Zubara, and a similar spot will be located North of Askar village in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The link is expected to consist of a number of bridges combined with roads constructed on dams and will be a natural extension of the King Fahd Causeway that connects Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, thus linking the entire region.

Plans for its construction were first made in September 2001, when the Danish consultancy COWI signed a DKK 60 million contract for the first phase of the project with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture in Qatar. ["Danes behind the world's longest fixed link" [http://www.sb-partner.com/press_download/september25.pdf] ] . Together with Sund & Bælt Partner Ltd. [Sund & Bælt Partner Ltd [http://www.sb-partner.com/current/bahrain.htm] ] , DHI Water & Environment and the architects Dissing+Weitling, COWI conducted pre-studies of the link. ["Qatar - Bahrain Causeway" [http://www.cowi.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/cowi/en/menu/03.%20Projects/03.%20Transport/6.%20Bridges/Other%20file%20types/0233-1702-057e-02b-low.pdf] ] ["Modelling Studies for the Qatar/Bahrain Causeway Project" [http://www.cowi.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/cowi/en/menu/03.%20Projects/01.%20Nature/4.%20Coastal%20engineering/Other%20file%20types/0233-1703-091e-low.pdf] ] ["Environmental Impact AssessmentQatar – Bahrain Causeway" [http://www.cowi.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/cowi/en/menu/02.%20Services/01.%20Nature/1.%20Natural%20resources%20management/Other%20file%20types/0214-1301-003e-00a_Qatar-Bahrain-LOW.pdf] ]

The project was reportedly approved for construction on February 28 2005, to link Bahrain near Manama to northwest Qatar near Zubarah as the longest fixed link in the world. ["USD4.8bn Qatar, Bahrain causeway" (article dated Feb. 28, 2005, consulted Oct. 7, 2007) [http://www.ameinfo.com/54824.html] ]

A formal agreement between the two countries was signed on June 11, 2006 to form a company that would raise the necessary capital and initiate construction. ["Bahrain-Qatar Causeway Construction to Begin" (article dated June 12, 2006, consulted Oct. 7, 2007) [http://www.bahraingateway.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=document.home&id=218] ]

It was announced on September 30, 2007 that construction should start within seven months and last 48 months. ["Construction of Bahrain-Qatar causeway to start next year " (article dated Sept. 30, 2007, consulted Oct. 7, 2007 [http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/09/30/10157076.html] ] A memorandum of understanding to that effect was then signed between the Qatar and Bahrain Causeway Foundation and a consortium of companies led by French construction major Vinci Construction and the German Company HOCHTIEF Construction AG and CCC and Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company. As of May 2008, construction is to begin following a 9-month study period and be completed in 51 months. ["Signature of the contract for the world’s longest bridge between Qatar and Bahrain" [http://www.vinci-construction.com/projets.nsf/en/contracts.htm?openagent&signature_of_the_contract_for_the_worlds_longest_bridge_between_qatar_and_bahrain] ]

External links

* [http://www.vinci-construction.com/projets.nsf/en/videos.htm Video simulation of the Bridge by Vinci Construction]
* [http://www.itbhu.org/chronicle/archives/vkraina/Introduction-to-Bahrain-Qatar-Causeway-Sea-Link.pdf Engineering Study by Dr. V.K. Raina]
* [http://www.qataridiar.com/ Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company]
* [http://www.vinci-construction.com/vinci-construction.nsf/en/index.htm Vinci Construction]
* [http://www.qatarvisitor.com/index.php?cID=413&pID=1260 Qatar-Bahrain Friendship Bridge]

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