Expressways and dual carriageways in Oman.
According to wholevehicles, Oman’s road network is fairly developed, but not very dense. The highest degree of development is found along the north coast, which is somewhat urbanized. There are approximately 30,000 kilometers of paved road. There is a through highway along the north coast from Muscat to the UAE border. Outside the Muscat region, however, the connections are in the form of roundabouts that are about 7 kilometers apart. These roundabouts are often decorated with large works of art in the form of traditional buildings. The maximum speedon this road is 120 km/h. This highway is approximately 300 kilometers long. In addition, there are a few short motorway sections, bringing the total to 550 kilometers of motorway. In addition, however, there are also dual carriageways with highway characteristics. West of Muscat, two parallel highways run through the urbanized coastal zone. The first full-fledged highway is the Muscat Expressway. The Al Batinah Expressway along the north coast has been developed more recently, as has the Al Sharqiyah Expressway to Sur.
Outside the highways, there are main asphalted roads, which are mainly in the north. There are two routes to the south of the country. For a long time there were no roads to Saudi Arabia, as the border area is formed by the Empty Quarter, one of the most unpopulated parts of the world. Through traffic to major Saudi cities had to travel via the United Arab Emirates. Later, the huge Ramlat Khaliya border crossing between the two countries was developed. The main roads are generally of good quality and well developed. There is one paved road that runs between Oman and Yemen. Some numbered roads, especially in the remote desert areas, are unpaved.
A long bridge is planned to the island of Masirah in the Indian Ocean. This bridge would be between 15 and 25 kilometers long, depending on the location chosen. A feasibility study for this was started in 2014.
| Motorways and Major Roads in Oman |
| Al Batinah Expressway • Al Sharqiyah Expressway • Muscat ExpresswayRoute 1 • Route 2 • Route 3 • Route 5 • Route 7 • Route 8 • Route 9 • Route 11 • Route 13 • Route 15 • Route 21 • Route 23 • Route 25 • Route 27 • Route 29 • Route 31 • Route 32 • Route 33 • Route 35 • Route 37 • Route 39 • Route 41 • Route 45 •Route 49 |
History
Until the 1970s, Oman was a barely developed country, much of the country had no electricity, there were no paved roads and the population lived mainly from agriculture. The modernization of Oman’s infrastructure initially only took place in and around the capital Muscat. The first modern airport opened in 1973. Five-year plans were drawn up for Oman’s development, starting in 1976. In the 1970s-80s, Muscat’s infrastructure was developed, such as paved roads. Muscat developed as two cities, the eastern historical part and a more modern western part. The first modern highway was Sultan Qaboos Street that connected both parts of Muscat and was built from the late 1980s.
At the time, the development of the road network mainly took place in the north of Oman, such as the coastal route from Muscat to the north. Connections to the sparsely populated and inaccessible southern part of Oman remained difficult for a long time. The infrastructure of Oman developed less than in the Gulf States until the 2000s, only from 2010 did the development of a larger network of motorways, the first being built in 2009-2010, the Muscat Expressway, a new motorway that runs parallel to Sultan Qaboos Street was constructed and was much wider.
To boost the north of Oman, the Al Batinah Expressway was opened between 2015 and 2018, a modern highway that provides a faster connection along the coast. This was especially important to improve access to Sohar Port, as well as the connections to the United Arab Emirates. Shortly after, the Al Sharqiyah Expressway was built, which will be completed in 2020 as a highway through the mountains to the coastal town of Sur.
After 2010, many national roads were also widened to 2×2 lanes, although these are not real highways. These have varying degrees of unevenness.
Road numbering
The road network is numbered with one and two digit numbers. There is no prefix. The road numbers go up south, but most road numbers are odd. There is no clear system. It is unclear whether the road numbers are indicated.
Signage
Signage in Oman is fairly well developed and follows regional standards, blue signs with white letters. The signposts are in both Arabic and English. The Interstate Gothic font is also used in Oman. There are also signposts that somewhat resemble the French model.
Road marking
In Oman, side markers are in yellow, lane markers are in white. Botts dots are also used.
Road signs
The traffic signs commonly used in Europe are also used in Oman.
