Protection works for eight bridges at Sweimeh

The progressive lowering of the Dead Sea surface water level creates an increased slope of the natural bed of the ephemeral drainage channels and wadis discharging the surface runoff into the Dead Sea.

This increased slope increases the flow velocity and results in progressive scour of the stream bed. The drainage structures provided across the Sweimeh-Ghor Haditha Road form a hard stand which generally prevents the bed scour from creeping upstream across these structures. This results in progressive scour and erosion of the wadi beds and sides until a stable slope is created on the downstream side of those structures. This stabilization however comes at the expense of severe lowering of the wadi bed just downstream of these structures, exposes their foundations, and compromises their stability and subject the road to complete failure.

There are seven bridges along Sweimeh–Ghor Haditha Road north of Wadi Mujib. The northernmost bridge by the Convention Center is already protected by the recent works carried out in the area. The remaining 6 were bridges require various degrees of intervention / scour protection and are covered in this study. Wadi Mujib (bridge 7) downstream of the existing Irish Crossing requires some protection. These are included in this Contract. A bridge to the south of Wadi Mujib (bridge 8) also requires additional protection and is included in this contract.

Scope of Works:

- Rehabilitation works for the “8 bridges” are substantially completed.

- The previous bridge (#2) has been replaced with a newly constructed bridge.

- Bridge (#4) at Wadi Zarqa Maen, has received substantial protection and rehabilitation works.

- Other bridges were either protected and rehabilitated (bridges 1, 7, &8), or abandoned (bridges 3, 5, &6) where alternative stretches of the road have been constructed.