ICRC, a joint venture (JV) between Turkish firm ICTAS and Riyadh-based Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company (RTCC), is using three WOLFF 180 B luffing jib tower cranes to help construct two new cable-stayed bridges in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The JV was commissioned by The Royal Commission for Riyadh City.
These bridges are being built on either side of the existing Wadi Laban Bridge, which has served as the sole crossing of the valley in the city’s southwest for more than three decades.
The new structures are being erected as part of the ‘Main and Ring Road Axes Development Program’ – a scheme intended to expand the capital’s major traffic routes.
On the construction site, which is located within Riyadh’s desert surrounds, three identical WOLFF 180 B cranes have been installed.
Each crane has a 40m jib and a hook height of 157m, with a maximum lifting capacity of 18t.
The machines are engaged in constructing four bridge pylons that will reach approximately 170m in height.
Tasks handled by the cranes include moving formwork systems, placing reinforcement material, pouring concrete, and transporting platforms and other equipment across the site.
The project has involved complex lifting procedures, especially when repositioning multiple stacked working platforms during pylon formwork changes.
On these occasions, the cranes have operated at their full 18t load capacity.
As the bridges progress, the cranes will also raise support beams weighing up to 12t for use in the upper sections of the pylons.
Assembly of the WOLFF cranes took place in 2025 using mobile cranes. Project timelines indicate that they will remain on site until approximately 2027.
Upon completion, each bridge will extend roughly 763m, with a central span of 405m and a width of about 35m, accommodating eight traffic lanes.
The two new crossings are expected to boost the capacity of a major roadway in Riyadh.
