The Red Sea Development Company has signed a contract with Arcirudon International to build the 28,000 sq km marine infrastructure for the conglomerate. The contract award, which followed a competitive tender process, specifies the construction of a 3.3 km crossing to Shurayrah, the main hub island for the first phase of The Red Sea Project. Also included in the award are two coastal jetties, and a further four island jetties. The work is scheduled for completion by November 2020. “This is a watershed agreement for The Red Sea Development Company, representing our first major construction contract award and the start of full-scale development of the site,” said John Pagano, CEO of The Red Sea Development Company. “We selected Archirodon based on our confidence in their ability to meet the unique challenges that The Red Sea Project presents, and their commitment throughout the procurement process to meeting our strict sustainability guidelines,” added Pagano. “Archirodon has a proven track record in marine infrastructure developments around the world, delivering projects underpinned by innovation and the latest advances in construction” said Dennis Karapiperis, CEO of Archirodon. “We are honored to be signing the first significant development contract for the Red Sea Project and glad to be part of a team that is so passionate about protecting the environment” he added. The crossing will connect a hub island, that will feature nine hotels as well as retail, leisure and entertainment amenities, to the mainland. It will comprise two causeways linked by a bridged span. The crossing route was modeled to ensure water flows and marine life were not impacted. Rather than taking the shortest route to the island, it makes use of existing land masses and is planned to avoid corals and to protect the surrounding ecosystems. The initial structure will later be built upon to provide the permanent crossing to the hub island when the destination opens, further limiting the environmental impact of construction.