Muscat: The Muscat Municipality is imposing height restrictions on Al Jabal Road (Amerat-Bausher Mountain Road) at four different locations. “To improve safety and traffic flow, Muscat Municipality is installing height restriction barriers on Amerat–Bausher Mountain Road to limit vehicles over three tonnes or three metres high.
Heavy vehicle drivers are advised to follow instructions and use alternative routes,” a statement said. The municipality earlier invited bids from contractors who will be responsible for all design and construction work related to the installation of height restriction signages on the road. As the mountain road has been prone to regular fatal accidents, especially those involving heavy-duty trucks that also disrupt traffic, there have been requests from the public for a permanent solution, such as an alternative tunnel road to connect the two wilayats of Amerat and Bausher, respectively.
According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT), a related tender will be announced this year for the tunnel project. The Greater Muscat Structure Plan (GMSP) places lots of importance on connectivity via public transportation and less dependence on private vehicles, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MoHUP). As per the plan, the Wilayat of Al Amerat, separated from the rest of the city by mountains, will be connected through a road tunnel in addition to the existing mountain road.
This tunnel will change the face of Al Amerat as it will help link the suburb with Ruwi through a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), those connected with the masterplan says.
