Three Wolffkran luffing jib cranes erecting cable-stayed bridges in Riyadh

A Wolff 180 B luffing jib crane on the Wadi Laban Valley bridge project in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Wolffkran

The bridges are being built on either side of the existing Wadi Laban Bridge, the only crossing of the valley since it opened more than 30 years ago.

The client is the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, with the project being executed by the ICRC joint venture, comprising Turkish construction company IC Ictas and Riyadh-based Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company (RTCC).

Each of the three WOLFF 180 B cranes is configured with a 40-metre jib, reaching a hook height of 157 metres with a maximum lifting capacity of 18 tonnes. The cranes are being used to construct four pylons up to approximately 170 metres high, handling formwork systems, reinforcement transport, concrete pouring, work platforms and surveying equipment.

The project relied on simultaneous repositioning of stacked working platforms during formwork changes between pylon sections, a task that required the cranes to operate at their full 18-tonne capacity. Still to come, the cranes will also lift support beams of up to 12 tonnes for the concreting of the pylon heads.

The cranes were assembled in 2025 using mobile cranes and are expected to remain on site until 2027. When complete, each bridge will be 763 metres long with a main span of 405 metres and a width of approximately 35 metres, accommodating eight traffic lanes. The project forms part of Riyadh’s Main and Ring Road Axes Development Program.

In the midst of the desert landscape southwest of Riyadh, three Wolff 180 B luffing jib cranes are supporting the construction of the new cable-stayed bridges over the Wadi Laban Valley. The construction project is part of a large-scale infrastructure initiative in Riyadh that, according to official statements, is expected to increase the capacity of the road network by up to 85 percent in the long term. Photo: Wolffkran

Three Wolff 180 B luffing jib cranes handle all lifting operations during the construction of the bridge pylons, which reach heights of up to around 170 meters. Photo: Wolffkran