Qatar–Bahrain Friendship Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Qatar Bahrain Causeway (also referred to as the Qatar Bahrain Friendship Bridge) is an often announced, often delayed planned causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...

 between the two Arab states
Arab states of the Persian Gulf
"Arab states of the Persian Gulf" or "Arab Persian Gulf states" or "Persian Gulf Arab states" or "Arabic Persian Gulf states" or "Arab States of The Gulf", are terms that refer to the six Arab states of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, bordering the Persian Gulf....

 of Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...

 and Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...

. It was announced on the 13th of December 2008 that construction would start in early 2009, and would cost approximately US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

2.3 billion to complete. As of November 2010, construction had not started, and the Qatar-Bahrain Causeway project was on hold, while the contracting consortium involved with the project was said to be demobilising, according to a source at the Qatar Bahrain Causeway Foundation (QBCF). On January 14, 2011, Bahrain's Foreign Minister stated that the project should nevertheless be considered as a must for both countries: "This is one economic market, one economic zone that should be well-connected, and the bridge is an integral part of that.. On April 27, 2011, an announcement was made, quoting an anonymous source of Bahrain's Al Wasat newspaper, that construction of the causeway would start in 2011 for completion in 2015, at the cost of approximately $5 billion.

Overview

The link between the two countries would be approximately 40 km (25 mi) in length, and support both a road and a railway. The link is expected to consist of a number of bridges and will be a natural extension of the King Fahd Causeway
King Fahd Causeway
The King Fahd Causeway is a causeway connecting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The idea of constructing the causeway was based on improving the links and bonds between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain...

 that connects Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...

 and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

, thus linking the entire region. These links include 18 km (11 mi) of artificial dikes
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...

 and 22 km (14 mi) of viaducts
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...

 and bridges
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

. These bridges would be 40 m (131 ft) in height at places to allow maritime navigation. The eastern-end of the causeway in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...

 will be located at Ras Ashairij, 5 km (3 mi) South of the city of Zubarah
Zubarah
Zubarah is a ruined and deserted town located in the northwestern coast of the Qatar peninsula about 105 km from the Qatari capital of Doha, part of Madinat ash Shamal municipality...

. The opposite end of the causeway would link North of Askar
Askar, Bahrain
Askar is a village on the south eastern coast of Bahrain. It is inhabited by members of the Al Buainain tribe, among others. It is also home to the shrine of Sa'sa'a bin Sohan, a companion of Imam Ali.-References:*...

 in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Plans for its construction were first made in September 2001, when the Danish consultancy COWI
COWI A/S
COWI A/S is an international consulting group, specialising in engineering, environmental science and economics, based in Lyngby, Denmark.It has been involved in more than 50,000 projects in 175 countries...

 signed a DKK
Danish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...

 60 million contract for the first phase of the project with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture in Qatar. Together with Sund & Bælt Partner Ltd., DHI Water & Environment and the architects of Dissing Weitling
Dissing + Weitling
Dissing+Weitling is an architecture and design practice based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The founders and namesakes Hans Dissing and Otto Weitling founded the firm upon the death of Arne Jacobsen as a continuation of his office where both had been key employees....

 and COWI
COWI A/S
COWI A/S is an international consulting group, specialising in engineering, environmental science and economics, based in Lyngby, Denmark.It has been involved in more than 50,000 projects in 175 countries...

 conducted pre-studies of the link.

Milestones

The project was reportedly approved for construction on 28 February 2005, to link Bahrain near Manama
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...

 to northwest Qatar near Zubarah
Zubarah
Zubarah is a ruined and deserted town located in the northwestern coast of the Qatar peninsula about 105 km from the Qatari capital of Doha, part of Madinat ash Shamal municipality...

 as the longest fixed link in the world. A formal agreement between the two countries was signed on 11 June 2006 to form a company that would raise the necessary capital and initiate construction.

It was announced on 30 September 2007 that construction should start within seven months and last 48 months. A memorandum of understanding
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...

 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
Hochtief
Hochtief Aktiengesellschaft is Germany's largest construction company. It is based in Essen but operates globally, ranking as the top general builder in the United States through its Turner Corporation subsidiary, and in Australia through the Leighton Group. In 2010 it employed more than 70,000...

, CCC and Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company.

On 15 November 2008, the Qatar-Bahrain Causeway Foundation awarded a contract to KBR, an engineering company headquartered in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

, "to provide design, project and construction management services for the Qatar-Bahrain road and rail marine crossing".

In 2009, discussions were entered into to soften the gradient of the bridge to make it more suitable for rail traffic.

In 2009, French architects Thomas Lavigne and Christophe Cheron joined the consortium led by Vinci to design, in collaboration with the engineers, the Causeway and the two main bridges.

In May 2010, Qatari coastguards injured a Bahraini fisherman reigniting a dispute over the Hawar Islands
Hawar Islands
The Hawar Islands are a group of islands situated off the west coast of Qatar in the Gulf of Bahrain of the Persian Gulf.Despite their proximity to Qatar , the islands...

. Escalating costs and the subsequent diplomatic row helped place the project on the back burner.

See also

  • King Fahd Causeway
    King Fahd Causeway
    The King Fahd Causeway is a causeway connecting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The idea of constructing the causeway was based on improving the links and bonds between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain...

  • List of longest bridges in the world
  • Transport in Bahrain
    Transport in Bahrain
    Transport in Bahrain.Bahrain has one of the lowest gas prices in the world, at $0.78 per gallon .- Road transport :* Bahrain changed from driving on the left to driving on the right in 1968.- International highways :...

  • Transport in Qatar
    Transport in Qatar
    - Public Transport :In 2002, the Qatari government launched Mowasalat, a company 100% owned by the Royal family, managed and operated by the state authorities to ensure the smooth provision of "integrated ground transport services" for the entire country with a growing population of more than...

  • Bahrain light rail network
    Bahrain light rail network
    The Bahrain light rail network is a public transport project in Bahrain.-Routes:Several different lines are planned:* Blue Line, from Jufair to the Northern city and Badea;* Brown Line, from Manama to the University and Bahrain Circle;...


External links

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