Doha: Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ opened today a new underpass at the Mesaimeer Interchange with a length of 220 meters to provide a free exit for the E-Ring Road towards Rawdat Al Khail Street.

Project Engineer Hassan Al Ghanim said that the newly opened underpass is the first achievement at Mesaimeer Interchange as it is ready for use six months ahead of the planned date with a completion of 65% of junction works.

A number of officials paid a visit to follow the latest progress of Mesaimeer Interchange and the new flyover bridge, including Eng. Yousef Abdulrahman Al Emadi, Projects Affairs Director at Ashghal, Bader Darwish, Highway Project Department Manager, Lieutenant Eng  Saoud Abdullah Al Hamad, from Traffic Engineering and Safety Department,  along with a number of engineers from Ashghal and the Contracting Company.

“The underpass connects traffic flow from E Ring road towards Rawdhat Al Khail Street. Road users coming from Al Thumama and Old Airport have direct access to Rawdat Al Khail Street without the need to use the old diversion”, Al Ghanim added.

Underpass benefits

The three-level Mesaimeer Interchange is the first of its kind in Qatar because it contains nine underpasses providing free-flow traffic.

The interchange contains two main bridges connecting Rawdat Al Khail Street and the Industrial Area Road in both directions, in addition to connecting the E-Ring road with the southern part of Doha Expressway in one direction, which will achieve a great flow of traffic in all directions.

The project is of 6.1 KM length of construction works, with three to four lanes in each direction to accommodate about 20,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.

The new interchange, completed in the second quarter of 2020, will significantly improve traffic, reducing travel time by more than 60%.

“The Five Side Interchange”

This interchange is designed in a distinctive pentagonal shape where it connects five main roads in Doha like: E Ring Road, Doha Expressway, Sabah Al Ahmad corridor, Industrial Area road and Rawdat Alkhail Street.

The interchange also links traffic between the south and central and north of the country, linking traffic from the south through the southern part of the Doha Expressway to the Doha Expressway and Al Shamal Road.

It also links traffic between Industrial area road and the heart of Doha through a connection to Rawdat Al Khail Street, which intersects with D ring and C Ring Road, as well as between the busy areas of Nuaija, Al Thumama, Bu Hamour, Al Maamoura, Mesaimeer providing an easy access to Al Wakra, Al Wukair and the Industrial area

It is located in a vital area that has many different facilities, including Al Thumama Stadium, one of the World Cup stadiums, especially that the interchange will include three pedestrian bridges that provides access to the stadium.

The interchange also serves many important educational, health and commercial facilities such as the medical Commission, as well as many different schools, health center and nearby shopping malls.

It will include a sophisticated intelligent transport system where surveillance cameras and a vehicle number monitor will be installed, as well as an emergency traffic system. This system will provide important facilities and control for traffic in Qatar.

The First Umm Lekhba Interchange Flyover Opened

Meanwhile Ashghal’ also opened the first 820-meter flyover bridge at Umm Lekhba (Landmark) Interchange as part of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor project on Saturday 2 November 2019, providing a free flow traffic from Al Gharrafa towards Doha and a parallel route to 22 February Street.

The new flyover bridge connects traffic from the new Al Hateem Street to Al Gharrafa in the direction of Doha with 22 February Street and Al Gharrafa Interchange (Passport Interchange) which will reduce travel time.

The flyover will improve traffic in the area. The bridge will accommodate around 1,500 vehicles per hour to serve those coming from Izghawa and Al Gharrafa areas towards Doha without the need to use Al Shamal Road and avoid the current construction works in the area.