Construction of Qatar’s first cable-stayed bridge begins

Doha: The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has started the construction of the first Cable-Stayed Bridge in Qatar and the conversion of Haloul Roundabout into a two-level interchange on Sabah Al-Ahmad Corridor project.

The 1,200-meter long new bridge extends prior to Haloul Roundabout through Faleh Bin Nasser intersection in Salwa Road to provide free traffic flow between Hamad International Airport and the areas of Bu Hamour, Mesaimeer and Al Waab. The new bridge will consist of four lanes in each direction to accommodate more than 16,000 vehicles per hour.

Challenges
Due to the length of the bridge, construction work will require the use of 854 precast concrete pieces, each weighing about 200 tons of reinforced concrete and 20 pylons and 16 piers to reach the highest point of the bridge to 30 metres high.

Haloul Interchange
Halul Roundabout will be revamped into a two-level interchange, which will include at-grade signalized intersection along with the free flow Cable-Stayed Bridge.
With the completion, the signalized intersection will consist of 6 lanes in each direction, including two right turns to the left and one for U-turn. The intersection will help the traffic in all directions to connect Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor to Halul Street and Salwa Road. It will serve Bu hamour and Al Mamoora and many vital facilities surrounding the Wholesale Market and commercial activities on Salwa Road.
Engineer Abdullah Al Naiemi explained that the bridge over Faleh Bin Nasser intersection on Salwa Road will be without pylons at all for a distance of 150 meters, but there will be cables to bear the bridge, pointing out that the completion of the bridge will be the first quarter of 2021, as well as the completion of Halul Intersection works 2020
Traffic Diversion on Faleh Bin Nasser at-grade Intersection

Stage 1 
To facilitate the works, Ashghal announced a partial closure of Faleh Bin Nasser Intersection on Salwa Road, while maintaining traffic movement through Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor and right turns open, starting Thursday night (April 18, 2019) for 48 hours to enable construction works of the cable-stayed bridge on Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor. Road users heading and coming from Doha can take right turn at Faleh Bin Nasser Intersection then make a U-turn at around 250 meters then turn right to get back on Salwa Road. Road users coming from Mesaimeer Road towards Bu Samra and from Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor towards Doha will be required to continue straight through Faleh Bin Nasser Intersection for 250 meters then turn right to get back on Salwa Road.

Stage 2
The Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ announced a partial closure of Faleh Bin Nasser Interchange at-grade for traffic on Salwa Road, starting Sunday morning (April 21, 2019) for 8 months to enable construction works of the bridge on Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor.
During this partial closure road users will be required to use alternative routes as shown in the attached map.
Traffic on Salwa Road heading and coming from Doha can take right turn at Faleh bin Nasser Interchange then do U-turn at around 250 meters then turn right to get back on Salwa Road.

Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor
Ashghal had earlier announced the completion of parts of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor such as Al Watiyatt Interchange as well as Al Rayyan Tunnel, which is considered the longest, deepest bi-directional bridge in Qatar.
With the completion of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor in 2021 with a length of 25 kilometers and a total works of 37 kilometers, the road will have the first Cable-Stayed Bridge in Qatar as well as the largest intersection, longest bridge, deepest and longest bi-directional tunnel.

The road will increase the importance of the Corridor that will include the upgrade of 7 main roads to become not only the “Doha traffic relief” by providing an alternative route to the busy 22 February street and a double traffic capacity, but also will link another traffic from the south of the country to the north via Doha By linking the Doha Expressway with the southern part of it (Al Wakra Bypass).