Two alarming incidents in one week in Dubai have cast doubt over the quality of much of the Emirate’s infrastructure, as first a bridge collapsed, then sewage spilled out onto the streets.
The bridge collapsed on the first interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road at about 2am on Monday June 30, injuring five workers and sparking discussions about safety on construction sites across Dubai.
Then, on Tuesday, July 1, sewage flooded an area of Dubai’s International City for the second week in a row, infuriating the nearby residents.
The bridge accident was caused by the collapse of pillars and scaffolding supporting following a miscalculation by the project contractor, according to Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in an Arabic language statement emailed to Arabian Business.
There were no deaths and the RTA said that workers suffered only medium and minor injuries. About 50 metres of the metro viaduct bridge was damaged. The collapse occurred close to the Dubai metro line, but the metro was unaffected.
A more serious bridge collapse killed seven workers in Dubai Marina in November last year.
A day after the bridge incident, sewage submerged an entire car park, roads and pavements in the International City, UAE daily Gulf News reported.
The waste travelled within feet of homes in the so-called “England Cluster” of houses which are modelled on architectural styles prevalent in London.
Motorists had to drive through pools of sewage and navigate round the tankers pumping out the water. The awful stench, exacerbated by Dubai’s intense summer heat, attracted swarms of flies, UAE daily Gulf News reported.
A spokesperson for the city’s master developer, Nakheel, told the newspaper that a team was working on measures to resolve the situation.
Meanwhile, the Al Habtoor Leighton Group has just been awarded a US$200 million contract for construction of the Olgana and Hilliana Towers in Dubai for Abyaar Real Estate Development.
Work on these high rise residential towers in Jumeirah is due to commence this month.
This follows the recent US$400 million award for Al Habtoor Leighton in joint venture with South African firm Murray and Roberts. The two companies won the contract to construct Donald Trump’s first International Hotel and Tower in Dubai in joint venture with the Nakheel group.
The project, located on Palm Jumeirah, is priced at some US$800 million for a 62-storey structure set to become a focal point of this mixed use development.
The latest awards bring the Al Habtoor Leighton score of contract awards in the Gulf Region since January to US$2 billion.
And Balfour Beatty, Britain’s biggest builder, expects to win contracts worth about $1.4 billion in Dubai this year.
The company made the announcement to the London Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
Dutco Balfour Beatty has won projects in Dubai that include a $440 million order to install mechanical and electrical works for University Hospital, as well as a separate hotel construction contract in the Al Barsha area of the city.
The company also delivered the first phases of the mega-project to extend the famous Dubai Creek.
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