Project Description

Eastern Province International Airport: Community Master Plan

Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of Defence and Aviation’s Presidency of Civil Aviation, in connection with the development of the Eastern Province International Airport (EPIA), engaged Bechtel to provide planning and advisory services to guide the long term orderly development of the 76,000 hectare EPIA property. Located in the central coastal region of the Kingdom’s Eastern Province, the airport was designed to meet increasing regional air traffic demands and to replace Dhahran International Airport’s commercial and general aviation operations. As a result of the studies, three plan documents were prepared: Land Use Plan, Urban Development Management Plan: Vol. 1 – Community Master Plan and Vol.2 – Community Development Policies, Procedures and Controls. The Land Use Plan provided an overall zoning and land use scheme for the property, including appropriate airport and airport operations areas as well as designating sites and access roads for non-aviation development including industrial, hotel and office uses. The Urban Development Management Plan was prepared to guide the growth and development of a planned community to accommodate housing and support facilities for employees of the airport and related operator entities. An initial community population of 17,600 persons was utilized as a basis for developing a land use and transportation plan which, long term, was envisioned to occupy some 560 hectares.

Services for the project included:

Land Use Suitability Analysis

  • Analysis of data base maps (i.e. topography, geology, etc.).
  • Identification of areas suitable for non-aviation related uses including residential, industrial, etc.

Urban Development Potentials

  • Review of experience with land use around major international airports; analysis of employment potential; development of scenarios for urban development potential.

Land Use Plan

  • Development and evaluation of alternative land use and transportation plans as a basis for developing the recommended plan.

Community Development Plan

  • Analysis of demand for housing and support facilities and preparation of programming standards and community organization concepts.
  • Development of land use and transportation plan; establishment of policies and procedures for urban development.

 

Principal Planner