The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has delivered a number of local roads, expressways and various infrastructure projects that serve Al Wakrah Stadium, the venue of tonight’s Amir Cup final. In a statement yesterday, Ashghal said it has developed new roads and upgraded existing ones to facilitate access to the stadium and its facilities.
This is part of the efforts exerted by the authority with the aim of providing well-developed roads that will facilitate access to the 2022 FIFA World Cup stadiums. “Ashghal continues to work on several projects that serve the stadiums through the completion of surrounding roads and infrastructure in the areas where they are located,” it said.
Through a number of projects, Ashghal said it is establishing a network of roads to facilitate traffic movement during the World Cup in coordination with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Ministry of Interior, Amiri Guard, and Qatar Football Association.
This is in addition to maintaining communication with all entities concerned in Qatar to ensure the integration of Ashghal projects with the various facilities serving the World Cup, such as Doha Metro and bus stations, commercial and tourist areas, fan zones, parks and gardens, which will “give visitors a great experience during their stay for the World Cup in Qatar”.
A boom in local roads network leading to Al Wakrah Stadium
Ashghal’s achievements in implementing the highway network leading to Al Wakrah Stadium from all over Qatar extends to include the development of local roads in Wakrah and Al Wukair, serving the stadium through a series of projects. These projects include development works on part of Al Wukair Road, which include an increase in the number of lanes from two to four lanes and the installation of traffic signals in the area between Al Wakra Hospital and Al Wukair Road’s intersection with Doha Expressway. The aim of these works is to facilitate the movement of traffic in the area and to provide additional exits from and entrances to the stadium, especially after the development of local roads branching through Al Wukair road, such as Bayt Al Maqdes Street, opposite to the stadium, and the new Al Wakrah Road which is considered an extension of Al Najma Street.
Development works also include upgrading the road leading to the Al Wakrah Central Market and the new Al Wakrah Road, Packages 5 and 7, with a total length of 23km, which provides a direct connection to Al Wakrah Stadium and is one of the most direct routes for those coming from Doha or Al Wakrah.
The authority has completed 1.7km of Sheikh Saud Bin Abdel Rahman Street under the Roads and Infrastructure of West Al Mashaf Project. This street will link New Al Wakrah Road with Interchange 10 of Doha Express Highway (Al Wakrah Bypass).
This street is an alternative route for drivers coming from the north and heading towards the stadium.
Ashghal has also completed the construction of Al Meera Junction and Aba Al Heeren Street, which lead to Al Wakrah Main Road. Additionally, the construction of the rising main and foul sewer pumping station to serve the stadium and the surrounding area as part of the Roads and Infrastructure for Government Residential Division Project in the north of Wukair has also been completed.
Expressway network serving Al Wakrah Stadium
Commuting from Doha to Al Wakrah nowadays does not necessarily require passing through Al Wakrah Main Road as there are new alternative routes such as G-Ring Road, the southern part of Doha Express Highway and Najma Street extension, in addition to the construction of other upgraded roads that connect commuters from the north, such as Al Majd Road, and other roads facilitating commuting from the south such as Mesaieed Road and Hamad Port Road.
Ashghal said it substantially completed the construction works of all expressways adjacent to Al Wakrah Stadium during 2017 and 2018, including the southern part of Doha Express Highway and G-Ring Road, as these roads facilitate traffic movement from Doha and the southern regions towards the stadium. These news roads can accommodate higher traffic volumes, reaching over 20,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.
In order to facilitate the movement of visitors and World Cup fans, the road network offers a distinct feature of connected pedestrian and bicycle paths. This feature allows road users to reach their destination easily and safely, with the expressway road network adding approximately 256km of pedestrian and bicycle paths, according to Ashghal.
G-Ring Road
G-Ring Road is a newly constructed vital road that has significantly enhanced traffic movement between Doha and the southern areas, the statement notes. It extends for 22km from Hamad International Airport (HIA) to Al Majd Road. The project has delivered a five-lane link in each direction with seven multi-level interchanges connecting several residential and commercial areas. The road facilitates access to 2022 FIFA World Cup stadiums such as Al Wakrah Stadium, where the Umm Besher Interchange will enable road users coming from G-Ring Road to get onto the southern part of Doha Express Highway and reach the Al Wukair Interchange, which directly serves the stadium.
The southern part of Doha Express Highway
The southern part of Doha Express Highway project is considered one of the most important roads that directly connect to Al Wakrah Stadium through the Al Wukair Interchange, as it connects with Doha Expressway, Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor and G-Ring Road on one end and with Al Wukair Road, Mesaieed Road and Al Wakrah Main Road on the other.
The southern part of Doha Express Highway is located to the west of Al Wakrah city. It provides road users with five lanes in each direction and five multi-level interchanges. The opening of the southern part of Doha Express Highway in 2017 added an alternative route between the Al Wakrah, Al Wukair, and Al Meshaf areas and Doha, due to its connectivity to arterial roads such as G-Ring Road, F-Ring Road, and Al Majd Road. This, in turn, significantly facilitates access to HIA, Hamad Port, Doha and southern areas such as Mesaieed city, Ashghal points out.
“The road’s opening has made a tangible difference to traffic movement due to the added traffic volume capacity enhancement compared to Al Wakrah Main Road, which currently includes only two lanes in each direction,” it adds. Road users are now able to reach their destinations bypassing Al Wakrah city. The project has also delivered 67km of cycle and pedestrian paths.
Al Majd Road
The seven-lane free-flow dual carriageway from Mesaieed to Al Khor will accommodate over 14,000 vehicles per hour in each direction for a distance of 130km. Al Majd Road includes 18 interchanges, providing efficient traffic movement, which will be a key contributing factor to reducing travel time up to 50%. As part of the infrastructure projects being implemented related to the World Cup preparations, Al Majd Road’s completion enhanced connectivity with a number of stadiums such as Al Rayyan, Al Khor, and Lusail. It also facilitated access to Al Wakrah Stadium for road users coming from the northern and southern regions through the Bu Al Yawabi Interchange, for those coming from Salwa Road, through the Hamad Port Interchange and for those coming from Mesaieed Industrial City, Sealine and the Al Afja area.
Al Wakrah Main Road
In May 2018, Ashghal launched construction works to upgrade 9km of Al Wakrah Main Road. The project will deliver three lanes in each direction, including an underpass that will span between Al Wakrah city and Doha. The project’s design allows for a wide central median that will accommodate the Doha Metro Red Line, which connects Al Wakrah to Doha with its two main stations at Ras Bu Funtas and Al Wakrah.
Al Wakrah Main Road is an important addition to Ashghal’s external highway network as it plays a strategic role in linking several main expressways, namely G-Ring Road and the southern part of Doha Express Highway. The project will also serve Al Wakrah Stadium – road users can use The Pearl roundabout to reach the stadium.
Al Wukair Road
Al Wukair Road is also considered a vital addition to the roads network, providing a 13km stretch of road, significantly upgraded to provide dual four lanes capable of accommodating 8,000 vehicles per hour in each direction as opposed to the previous configuration of one lane in each direction. Al Wukair Road connects a number of areas with Al Wakrah Stadium through the Umm Al Houl Interchange via Mesaieed Road, or the Bu Ghurban Interchange passing through Al Wukair.
Pedestrian and cycling tracks connect Doha Metro to the stadium
In order to facilitate the fan commute from Al Wakrah Metro station to Al Wakrah Stadium, Ashghal has implemented the laying of 3.5km-long pedestrian and cycling tracks – which start from Al Wakrah Street before and pass through the Najma Street extension and Al Wukair Road – within two months. The implementation of these tracks aims to enhance the movement and transportation of visitors and fans during the Amir Cup final.