The New Orbital Highway project will not only link the most important areas of economic activity in the country but also significantly cut travel time, help reduce road congestion and enhance traffic safety, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has said.
The project is also expected to positively impact trade movement to and from the new Hamad Port and enhance the latter’s position as a regional hub, according to a statement from Ashghal.
On Monday, a link road between Hamad Port and Truck Route was opened as part of the New Orbital Highway and Truck Route project.
The road provides uninterrupted transit to Hamad Port, Mesaieed, Al Wakrah and the temporary Truck Route. “This will reflect positively on trade movement from and to the new Hamad Port, up to the Abu Samra border post through the future phases of the Orbital Highway and Salwa Road, which will enhance Hamad Port’s position as a regional hub for the movement of goods in Qatar and the Gulf,” the
statement noted.
Meanwhile, Ashghal stressed that upon completion, the New Orbital Highway project would provide fast and direct roads linking the most important areas of economic activity in the country, including Mesaieed, Hamad Port, Dukhan, Al Khor and Ras Laffan.
This will eliminate the need to pass through the main residential areas in Al Wakrah, Doha and Al Khor, which will have a positive impact on reducing traffic congestion in those areas as well as reducing air pollution, it adds.
The project includes the construction of 21 main interchanges, tunnels and flyovers, connecting the Orbital with highways and main roads such as the East West Corridor, Salwa Road, Dukhan Highway and Al Shamal Road. “This will significantly enhance the flow of traffic and shorten the journey times by around 50% on an average, compared to the time spent on the same journey using the existing roads,” Ashghal said.
The project design includes the separation of lanes for heavy vehicles and for cars and other vehicles.
This will be done by providing five lanes for cars and light vehicles and two for heavy vehicles in each direction. “This will play an important role in enhancing traffic safety and reducing accidents through separating the movement of fast cars from that of the relatively slow vehicles,” the authority further noted.
The road is designed to accommodate up to 1,500 heavy goods vehicles per hour in each direction and can cater to general traffic of approximately 8,000 vehicles per hour in each direction.
