Pilgrimage focus.

(From Gulf Construction)

A new larger structure designed to facilitate the stoning ritual traditionally performed during the Haj has recently been completed by Almabani General Contractors Company. A pool of expertise from around the globe has gone into a major bridge expansion project aimed at ensuring the safety and comfort of pilgrims performing one of the main Haj rituals

Work was completed at the end of last year on the SR100 million ($26.6 million) expansion of the Jamarat Bridge, aimed at facilitating the stoning ritual, increasing the capacity of the Jamarat site to 500,000 pilgrims per hour and easing the movement of the pilgrims in Mina

The project has involved the demolition of parts of the existing bridge to provide space for a new, larger structure. The new structure has an electronic system to direct and control the movement of pilgrims over the bridge. It also has a warning system for pilgrims in the tents across the plain if crowds at the site or on the access roads reach critical levels. The project has entailed the expansion of the three Jamarat basins where stones thrown by pilgrims should fall, and the bridge leading to the site. Posts and concrete barriers provide greater safety to pilgrims. The basins have been expanded from their previous circular shape to an oval shape, having been designed to enable better access for completing the stone-throwing ritual. The project was tackled by Almabani General Contractors Company, which won the contract against stiff competition

Tracing the history of the project, Almabani's projects director Joseph Daher says: "To overcome stampedes and unfortunate accidents at the Jamarat Bridge, the Saudi authorities initiated a project to develop ways and means to avoid such tragedies and offer safer circulation for pilgrims. Major modifications to the existing bridge were envisaged by a panel of experts on crowd dynamics and the contract went out to tender

"Three companies were invited to bid: Saudi Binladin Group, Saudi Oger and Almabani General Contractors. Almabani, which was chosen to carry out this task, accepted the challenge and the privilege of this venture to execute this important project in a record time. It mobilised all the resources necessary to implement the project. Scope of work "A dynamic design and construction team was formed - reaching 1,000 men at peak - from all the different specialisations including a team from Vinci Construction Grands Projets of France to design and value-engineer the structure to meet the crowd movement requirements, and Freyssinet Gulf to carry out the post-tensioning works for the main structure around the three Jamarats as ...