DOHA: The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) on Saturday opened the first phase of the Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor – 13 km from Umm Lekhba Interchange in the north to Bu Hamour Bridge in the south.
The project will fully open to traffic in Q1 of next year.
Seven new bridges were also opened, bringing the number of bridges opened to 21 out of the 32 bridges that make up the road.
These include three bridges at Umm Lekhba Interchange and three at Al Waab Intersection, including the longest bridge, which covers a distance of 2.6 km and a 1.2 km-long cable stayed bridge.
The opening also includes Al Luqta Tunnel that intersects with Al Luqta Street to directly link Al Luqta and Al Gharrafa.
The new openings will provide free traffic flow along the road passing over 12 at-grade intersections, which would shorten travel time by over 50 per cent as the road currently accommodates more than 8,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.
Ashghal President Dr Saad bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi said the opening of the first phase came despite many challenges the country has recently witnessed, including the unjust blockade and Covid-19 pandemic.
Ali Ibrahim of the Highway Project Department noted the three new bridges at Umm Lekhba Interchange provide new entrances and exits to Al Gharrafa area to provide an alternative option to Al Gharrafa Interchange, (known as Immigration Interchange).
Cable-stayed bridge
The bridge was designed without pillars or a distance of 150 metres, taking into account all safety factors when constructing the bridge, including supporting the bridge with 120 cables and 754 precast concrete pieces weighing over 200 tonnes.
Twenty columns and 16 piers were set up to reach the highest point of the bridge at 30 metres.
The bridge is strategically located above Haloul and Faleh bin Nasser intersections on Salwa Road, where it will receive traffic coming to and from Hamad International Airport (HIA) and reduce traffic pressure on parallel streets such as the Wholesale Market Street and Doha Expressway/22 February Street.
Three bridges on Al Waab Interchange
Ashghal has opened new parts on Al Waab Interchange, where it opened a 2.6 km-long main bridge, the longest bridge in Qatar, as it extends from Al Rayyan Tunnel, passing over the Lekhwya Interchange and Al Waab Street Interchange.
A bridge was also opened to connect traffic coming from Rashida Interchange to the main bridge (Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor) with a length of 386 metres, and the opening of a third bridge linking traffic coming from Al Sadd at Al Waab Interchange with Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor towards Salwa and includes a lane of 823 metres.
Umm Lekhba Interchange
Three new bridges were opened at Umm Lekhba Interchange, bringing the number of bridges that were opened at the largest intersection in the country to five out of nine.
The opening includes the link bridge from the north in the direction of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor and Al Gharrafa to include two lanes in one direction, with a length of 1,100 metres.
The bridge opposite Al Gharrafa and Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor toward Al Shamal was opened to include two lanes in one direction, with a length of 1,400 metres, the bridge linking traffic coming from Doha in the direction of Al Gharrafa and Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor was opened to include one lane in one direction, also with a length of 1,000 metres.
The three bridges will ease traffic movement in the area and reduce traffic pressure on 22 February Street, especially on Al Gharrafa Interchange.
The opening includes the Luqta Tunnel that intersects with Khalifa Street, as two lanes will be opened in each direction as well, directly linking Al Luqta and Al Gharrafa, providing an alternative road to the nearby tilted intersection.
Traffic diversions
Some traffic diversions will remain in place along the corridor to provide the necessary space to complete construction works for the rest of the roads and facilities.
In order to allow construction work of the cable-stayed bridge, Ashghal has announced a partial closure of Haloul Interchange for month.
During the closure period, traffic coming from Bu Hamour Intersection on Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor will be closed towards Al Maaded traffic signal to the right and Haloul Street to the left while keeping movement open to traffic in remaining directions as they are.
Road users must use Al Judy Street and turn left at Al Ma’adeed to reach their destinations.
Al Gharrafa diversion
An old diversion on Al Ittihad Street (Thani Bin Jassim Street) will be cancelled, road users heading east could turn back on Al Markhiya Street to reach the eastern part of Al Ittihad Street (Thani Bin Jassim Street) east of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor.
The exit from Al Luqta Street to Al Markhiya Street will also be closed. Road users would have to turn back at the tilted Intersection (Al Luqta Street) to reach the Immigration Interchange and U-turn back and enter from Al Hamlah Street to reach their destinations.
Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor
Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor will extend for approximately 25 km from HIA to Umm Lekhba Interchange (known as Landmark Interchange) on Doha Expressway.
In addition, Ashghal will enhance 12 km of local and peripheral roads intersecting with the corridor. The total road works of the project is approximately 37 km.
Commuters travelling from HIA via the new corridor would be able to reach Umm Lekhba Intersection in approximately 18 minutes compared to the current 50 minutes via Doha Expressway and 22 February Street, reducing travel time by 70 per cent.
Improved traffic movement
This significant improvement in traffic movement will increase the road’s capacity to more than 20,000 vehicles per hour in both directions after expanding the existing road to four and five lanes in each direction instead of two or three lanes.
Doha Expressway currently accommodates only about 12,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.
The project will convert all roundabouts to more efficient and safer signalised junctions as well as build and upgrade 17 interchanges that facilitate access to and from the road from all directions.
These include several connected bridges consisting of four lanes in each direction and five vehicle underpasses tunnels to provide free flow of traffic.
The project includes constructing 12 of pedestrian and cycle path bridges with a length of 65 km along with 1.5 million sq. metres of landscaping.