The UAE’s Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure has invited engineering consultancies to bid to design a 68-kilometre section of the proposed Fourth Federal Highway Corridor (E-911).

The tendered section will extend from the Dubai-Sharjah border to Al-Shuhada Road (E-87) in Ras Al-Khaimah. It also includes an 8km connecting road linking the corridor to Emirates Road (E-611) in Umm Al-Quwain.

The new highway will have 12-16 lanes in both directions combined. The relevant local authorities have approved the proposed alignment, and concept design work has been completed.

The appointed consultant will review and validate the concept design, undertake technical studies and site investigations, and prepare preliminary and detailed designs and construction tender documents. The ministry has stipulated that the lead consultant must undertake the traffic study directly, with no subcontracting permitted for that element of the works.

Bidders must be registered with the Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure as Category 1 roads and infrastructure design consultants. They must also appear in Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority’s approved 2025 classification list under the unlimited category for roads and bridges design, and demonstrate experience delivering the engineering design of major highway, freeway and expressway schemes.

The tendered works form part of the wider fourth corridor programme approved by Dubai. The planned route will extend about 80km from Al-Faya Road in Abu Dhabi to Al-Shanouf Road in Sharjah, providing an additional inter-emirate highway connection alongside the existing E11, E311 and E611 corridors.

The wider scheme is planned to comprise 12 lanes, 72 bridges, and 17 tunnels, with a capacity of 24,000 vehicles an hour in each direction. Dubai authorities expect the project to serve more than 3.1 million people and cut travel times by up to 60%.

The corridor will be developed in two phases. The first phase, from Al-Shanouf Road to Dubai-Al-Ain Road, has an estimated cost of AED3.5bn ($953m). The second phase will extend from Dubai-Al-Ain Road to Al-Faya Road in Abu Dhabi.

The scheme will provide connections to Al-Maktoum International airport and the Etihad Rail network. It supports the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which anticipates that Dubai’s population will reach 5.8 million by 2040.