Project Details

Narrative Description of Project:

The purpose of this study is to alleviate the traffic congestion in Al-Khuwair and Al-Ghubbrah areas in Muscat. The study area is bounded by Shati El-Qurm and Madinat Al-Sultan Qaboos areas to the east, by Gulf of Oman to the north, by the Seeb area to the west, and by the Bawsher area to the south.
The congestion problem experienced at several junctions in the study area is due to vehicular movements whose trajectory was dictated by some missing links in the roadway network. The missing links are forcing drivers to take circuitous routes in order to avoid the peak hour congestion on some of the main junctions, thus spilling over traffic and causing congestion also on road sections that were designed to serve access rather than through traffic.

Description of Actual Services Provided:

The scope of our services included conducting a detailed traffic study targeted at testing various scenarios, each including specific proposals for alleviating traffic congestion. These proposals include doubling specific existing links, constructing new links, constructing grade separations and overpasses, improving the geometric design of intersections and roundabout, and signalizing some intersections. We were also to produce the complete geometric designs for the adopted improvements and to prepare tender drawings including plans, profiles, cross-sections, junction details, signalization plans, signing and marking, storm drainage, roadway lighting, and landscaping.

For the traffic analysis, the trip matrices produced by the Muscat Area Traffic Study (MATS) were the starting point. The results of an extensive traffic counting program conducted in June 2000 were utilized to update the 1994 MATS matrices utilizing a gradient approach for O-D matrix adjustment, utilizing the EMME/2 software. The EMME/2 package was used to calibrate a network model and produce trip assignments for the present and the future, under each scenario of improvements. Assigned volumes were input to LOS (Level-of-Service) analysis utilizing TRANSYT and SYNCHRO. The results of the traffic analysis provided the cross-section elements and geometric configuration of the links and junctions.