Muscat – Work on the Muscat Expressway expansion is expected to begin in October or November, with authorities preparing a traffic management plan to limit congestion during implementation of the project.

Eng H E Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, said the expansion plan would be submitted to the Council of Ministers as Oman moves ahead with a series of road and aviation projects.

Speaking on the sidelines of a dialogue session organised by the Oman Economic Association on Tuesday, H E Al Maawali said a separate study examining traffic congestion and working hours had not yet been completed.

The study could include proposals to change working hours at some institutions as part of measures to ease traffic pressure.

New Suhar Airport

Oman is also planning a new passenger terminal at Suhar Airport as it seeks to expand regional air connectivity and strengthen the airport’s role in the national aviation network.

H E Al Maawali said Suhar Airport would begin operating more regional services, with new routes expected to be announced before the end of the year.

Potential destinations include Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Gwadar in Pakistan and southern Iran.

The planned terminal and additional routes are expected to provide more travel options for residents of northern Oman and strengthen Suhar’s position as a regional aviation and logistics gateway.

Thumrait-Salalah road

The minister also addressed delays to the Thumrait-Salalah road project, saying the scheme had initially been offered as an investment opportunity.

However, conditions included in bids submitted by prospective investors prompted the government to reconsider the original approach.

Authorities subsequently decided to proceed with the project through a conventional tendering model rather than the investment model initially proposed.

H E Al Maawali said the earlier investment structure and the subsequent change in procurement approach had contributed to the delay.

The Thumrait-Salalah road is an important link in Dhofar’s transport network, connecting Thumrait with Salalah and supporting movement between the interior and the governorate’s main urban and economic centre.

The three projects underline the government’s focus on improving road capacity, easing congestion and strengthening regional connectivity through secondary airports.

The Muscat Expressway expansion is expected to have the most immediate impact, with the government now preparing measures to manage traffic during construction while the wider congestion study continues.