Diriyah Development Company (DevCo), subsidiary of Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), has awarded a 1.2 billion Saudi riyal ($311 million) contract to Saudi construction company Nesma & Partners, to construct 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 WRR will provide seamless traffic access and egress between all Diriyah Gate zones and the Saudi Arabian capital’s arterial motorway system, DGDA said in a press statement 

Diriyah Gate is the commercial district of DGDA's 190 billion Saudi riyal ($50 billion) heritage tourism giga project Diriyah Gate. 

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

The major bridge deck spanning across the WRR will also support Heroes’ Park, an iconic public gathering space for people, central to Diriyah’s Masterplan. 

Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO, DGDA, said: “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 realizing this vision. Its construction will create approximately 2,500 jobs, significantly contributing to the Kingdom’s goals for Vision 2030.” 

The main elements of the contract works 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. At its peak, more than 1,800 people will be working on the construction site. 

In November 2021, Zawya Projects had reported that the Diriyah Square is on track to be completed ahead of a 2024 opening. 

(Writing by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon) 

(anoop.menon@lseg.com) 

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