DOHA: Plans are afoot to develop a parallel road to February 22 Street that links the Midmac underpass on the D-Ring road with Shamal road to address the heavy traffic congestion on this major highway.
The road starting from Woqod roundabout in Abu Hamour and leading to Al Rayyan through Al Waab will be developed with flyovers and underpasses, according to a senior official of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal).
This highway will link the Woqod roundabout with Mukafahat roundabout in Al Rayyan through Al Waab intersection ultimately connecting it with Gharafa roundabout.
Reacting to public complaints about the heavy traffic jams on the February 22 road, Ashghal chairman Eng Naser Al Mowlawi said the proposed highway is part of a series of measures being taken by Ashghal to address the issue. The design has been finalised for some important part of this project.
“The February 22 street was designed in 2000 and opened after 10 years due to delays caused by the contracting company. The number of cars in Qatar in 2000 was about 170,000 but now in 2013 there are more than 900,000 cars in the country. So it is natural to have problems,” said Al Mowlawi, in an interview with a local Arabic daily. He said Ashgal is now working to develop entry and exit points at Duhail bridge and this would be completed in two months.
“We have expanded the Midmac and Passport roundabouts to the maximum possible levels. There are other solutions planned including new exit and entry points at Umm Lakhba Intersection,” said Al Mowlawi.
He said Ashghal is currently working on 10 major projects which include the second phase of Salwa Road, F-Ring Road, East Industrial Area road, main Dukhan Road, Al Huwaila road and Lusail Highway.
“We are learning from our mistakes. All the new projects have been designed with the requirements for the next 50 years in view,” he added.
Tenders for the first phase of the Industrial Area development project, that has been delayed, will be invited by the middle of this year. The project has been divided into six parts—roads, sewages, services, beautification and an integrated security system. The project includes 220km roads and 160 intersections. He said Ashghal will soon introduce an electronic system to receive complaints and suggestions from the public about its projects.
The new Ashghal strategy has laid a lot of emphasis on addressing public complaints, sticking to project deadlines and selecting the best international companies.
“We are facing problems in coordinating with other concerned bodies. Sometimes it becomes difficult to move other service providers from the worksite. And there are also mistakes in the designs. It is important is to discover the mistakes in the early stages,” said Al Mowlawi.
For the next seven years, Ashghal has undertaken projects worth a whopping QR100bn that will see construction of more than 900km of new roads and 240 intersections across the country.
The Peninsula
