Doha: The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has completed several highways, and local road projects and infrastructure work in many areas. The operation and maintenance of road and drainage networks continue across the country as well.
By the end of 2020, 828 km of highways are expected to be completed, said Ashgal in a report on its achievements issued on the occasion of Qatar National Day.
Ashghal also announced the start of implementing many new projects within the infrastructure development programme for areas in 2020, as 203 km of roads have been developed and infrastructure for 3,399 existing and new plots of land for citizens completed across the country.
Ashghal also signed 11 new contracts to establish bus stops and warehouses at the cost of QR2bn as part of the public bus infrastructure programme.
Ashghal also completed about 90% of the outfall tunnel’s construction works within the Mesaimeer pumping station and the offshore outfall project and 95% of the sewage treatment plant project in Al Thakhira. Ashghal also completed the construction of sub-sewage tunnels within the infrastructure development project for south Doha sewage.
Ashghal made a new achievement by registering two world records in the Guinness World Records for the longest connected bicycle path in addition to the longest piece of asphalt that had been continuously paved.
Regarding expressway development projects, Ashghal opened most parts of Mesaimeer Interchange, as it opened the tunnel linking the Doha Expressway and the Industrial Area.
Under Al Wakra’s main development project, the intersection on the Al Wakrah Tunnel opened partially. Duhail Al Gharafa Bridge and parts of the traffic lights under Al Shamal Bridge were opened on August 15, 2020, under the development of Duhail Intersection.
By the beginning of the academic year 2020-21, Ashghal opened Al Khafous Street, with a length of 3,700 meters, linking Al Furousiya Street in the west and Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor in the east. Ashghal partially opened a new bridge on the Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor in Bu Hamour, with 900 meters.
Ashghal announced the opening of the traffic light at Al Waab Interchange as part of the Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor project’s work. Work is underway to complete the rest of the bridging works on the vital intersection after converting it from traffic light to an intersection of three levels.
Ashghal announced the start of the project’s implementation to develop the road network linking with Al Khor Road, with a length of 28 km, and converting seven temporary roads into new permanent roads that provide greater capacity and traffic flow in all directions. Ashghal opened the Olympic cycling track on Al Khor Road with a length of 33 km within the National Sports Day activities.
In July 2020, Ashghal announced the start of the implementation of D-Ring Road development works to improve traffic movement at the main intersections on the D-Ring Road to provide free traffic by increasing the number of lanes on each Fareej Al Ali intersection.
A major achievement of Ashghal is the opening of the first phase of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor at an estimated rate of 75%, with a length of 13 km from the Umm Lakhba Interchange to the Bouhamour Bridge.
The most prominent achievements of the infrastructure development programme for the areas are the development of roads leading to Al Rayyan Stadium and the roads surrounding Al Bayt Stadium, completing the construction of the main tunnel for the sewage network serving eight northern areas. Opening of two streets and completing the infrastructure works in Rawdat Aba Al Hiran area.
During the year 2020, Ashghal started implementing several new projects as part of the infrastructure development programme for the regions, including the Roads and Infrastructure Project in the South of Al Mashaf (Package 7) that serves 1,389 plots of lands for citizens.
In July, Ashghal signed nine new contracts for infrastructure projects for citizens’ lands, valued at QR3.6bn, to serve 5,111 housing plots in different areas across the country.
Ashghal, represented by the Roads Projects Department, won several international awards this year. In March 2020, it won the ‘Government Sustainability Initiative’ award presented by the Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), a member of Qatar Foundation. In May 2020, it won two international safety awards from the British Safety Council to recognise its outstanding health and safety performance in the roads and infrastructure projects in Doha Industrial Area (Package 3) and Muaither West (Package 3).
In June 2020, Ashghal was crowned the ‘Winner of the Year’ with two International Safety Awards 2020 from the British Safety Council.
