First Cable-Stayed Bridge in Qatar: Largest intersection and longest bridge, Sabah Corridor to reduce north-south travel time by 70%

* The Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor project is to be complete in 2021

* The road, the first in Qatar to be called a Corridor, will have the first Cable-Stayed Bridge in Qatar

* The road will also have the largest intersection, longest bridge, deepest and longest bi-directional tunnel

* The Corridor will provide access to more than 25 residential areas and facilitate access to five 2022 FIFA World Cup stadiums

The new Corridor will be a vital alternative and parallel route that will serve thousands of daily commuters from the north to the south of Doha

The Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor project, once completed in 2021, will significantly contribute to relieve the traffic congestion on Doha Expressway in particular, 22 February Street, Dr Saad bin Ahmad al-Muhannadi, president of the Public Works Authority, Ashghal, said on Sunday.

The new Corridor will be a vital alternative and parallel route that will serve thousands of daily commuters from the north to the south of Doha.

People travelling from Hamad International Airport will 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 traffic time by 70%.

The new Corridor will also form a vital link between the north and the south of Doha through Al Watiyyat Interchange, at F-Ring Road, which will constitute a key point to accommodate traffic to both Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor and Doha Expressway. This interchange will also create a vital connection between Doha Expressway and Southern Part of Doha Express Highway (Al Wakrah Bypass) as well as to Mesaieed Road further south.

The current road layout holds up to three lanes in each direction, which will be upgraded to between four and five lanes in each direction. This expansion will accommodate approximately 20,000 vehicles per hour in both directions on the Corridor while Doha Expressway currently accommodates 12,000 vehicles per hour, which will significantly improve traffic movements in the surrounding areas.

The project will convert all roundabouts to more efficient and safer signalised junctions as well as build and upgrade 17 interchanges. These interchanges will deliver 32 bridges and 12 vehicular underpasses to enhance connectivity and provide smooth traffic movements in addition to 12 pedestrian bridges. A total of 65km of pedestrian and cycle paths along with 1.5mn sqm of landscaping will also be delivered as part of the project’s scope of works.

The Ashghal president pointed out that the Corridor project launched in 2018, includes four contracts, which will upgrade E-Ring Road, F-Ring Road, Mesaimeer Road, Al Bustan Street South and Al Bustan Street North. He added: “Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor will facilitate access to five of the 2022 FIFA World Cup stadiums — Ras Bu Abboud, Al Thumama, Al Wakrah, Khalifa International and Qatar Foundation Stadiums.”

Overview of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor

Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor will extend for approximately 25km from Hamad International Airport to Umm Lekhba Interchange (known as Landmark Interchange) on Doha Expressway. Its scope includes the upgrade of seven main roads namely, E-Ring, F-Ring, Mesaimeer, Al Bustan, Bu Erayyen, Lebday and sections of Al Markhiya Street. In addition, Ashghal will enhance 12km of local and peripheral roads intersecting with the Corridor. The total road works of the project is approximately 37km.

First cable-stayed bridge in Qatar

Sabah Al Ahmed Corridor includes the first cable-stayed bridge in Qatar with a length of 1,200m. It extends from Mesaimeer Road to Al Bustan Street and crosses over Halul Intersection on Mesaimeer Road and Faleh Bin Nasser Intersection on Salwa Road.

Longest bridge

The Corridor will be the home to the longest flyover in the country, which spans 2.6km extending from Al Bustan Street to Bu Erayyen Street and crossing over Al Waab Street and Rasheeda Street.

Largest interchange

Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor will include the largest interchange in Qatar. The impressively complex Umm Lekhba (Landmark) Interchange has nine bridges providing a free traffic flow in all directions highlighting its significance as a key access point on Doha Expressway for local residential areas and malls.

Longest and deepest bi-directional tunnel

The project consists of the recently opened Al Rayyan Road, which is the longest and deepest bi-directional tunnel in Qatar. It sits 25m below ground level and extends for 2.1km connecting Bu Erayyen Street and Lebday Street.

Residential areas and main Roads

The new Corridor is a major link facilitating connections to 15 main roads namely Al Wakrah Road, Ras Bu Abboud Road, E-Ring Road, F-Ring Road, Industrial Road, Salwa Road, Al Rayyan Road, Al Waab Street, Al Luqta Street, Al Markhiya Street, Doha Highway and Khalifa Avenue. It will serve 25 densely populated residential areas such as Al Thumama, Al Nuaija, Bu Hamour, Al Waab, Al Rayyan, Al Luqta, Al Gharrafa, etc.

World Cup stadiums

Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor will facilitate access to most of the World Cup FIFA 2022 stadiums including Ras Bu Abboud, Al Thumama, Al Wakrah, Khalifa International and Qatar Foundation Stadiums.

Qatar Rail

The Corridor provides easy access to some of Doha Metro stations such as the Economic Zone, Al Waab and Old Rayyan.

Drive through Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor project

Once completed, road users coming from Hamad International Airport and southern Doha and heading north will be able to use the new Corridor via F-Ring Road then continue on the existing Mesaimeer flyover to use the new 900m bridge crossing over Al Shehaimiya Interchange (formerly known as Bu Hamour Interchange). The new cable-stayed Bridge will allow road users to drive towards the north avoiding Halul Intersection and Faleh Bin Nasser Intersection on Salwa Road to smoothly reach Al Bustan Street. From there, road users will be able to continue their journey using the 2.6km bridge. This will allow them to avoid the Snay Bu Hasa Intersection and Al Waab Intersection as well as Lekhwiya Roundabout, which will be converted to a signalised junction. At this stage, road users would have reached Bu Erayyen Street where they will be able to drive through the recently opened tunnel at Lebday Interchange in Al Rayyan, which connects to Lebday Street. Two additional bridges will deliver a free traffic flow to alleviate the traffic at Mekkah and Al Luqta Intersections and deliver connectivity to Thani Bin Jassim tunnel to continue their journey to the north, road users will be able to drive through Al Markhiya Street in Al Gharrafa and reach Umm Lekhba Interchange (known as Landmark Interchange).

The Corridor project is composed of four contracts: E-Ring and F-Ring Road Upgrade, Mesaimeer Road Upgrade, Al Bustan Street South Upgrade and Al Bustan Street North which will deliver new interchanges and connections:

1.    Contract One – E-Ring & F-Ring Road Upgrade Project

The E-Ring Road project will construct and upgrade 8.5km of roads to create strategic links between eight expressways and major ring roads, which will further strengthen north-south connectivity in Qatar. It will enable the connectivity between the southern part of Doha Expressway and the Doha Expressway, in addition to creating a vital connection between D-Ring Road, E-Ring Road, F-Ring Road, G-Ring Road, Rawdat Al Khail Street and Industrial Area Road.

Apart from enhancing the connectivity, the E-Ring Road upgrade project will relieve traffic congestion on the adjacent roads such as Doha Expressway, Najma Street, Airport Road and Al Wakrah main road and significantly reduce the travel time by up to 60% by using the new road to reach their destinations

As part of the E-Ring Road upgrade project, there will be two vital multi-level interchanges, Al Watiyyat and formally known Al Khamees Al Obaidly Interchange, In addition to a five-lane on each side connecting both interchanges.

Ashghal has opened up to 90% of Al Watiyyat Interchange to traffic via Doha Expressway, Rawdat Al Khail Road, Industrial Area Road and E-Ring Road heading towards Hamad International Airport, Bu Hamour and Mesaimeer via F-Ring Road; or towards Al Wakra and Al Wukair via the Southern Part of Doha Expressway.

Al Watiyyat Interchange once completed at the F-Ring interchange and the southern part of Doha Expressway, Al Watiyyat Interchange includes three main bridges and four vehicular underpasses to facilitate access to the surrounding residential areas such as Al Thumama, Mesaimeer, Bu Hamour, Nuaija, Al Wakrah and Al Wukair. It will also provide a free flow traffic for road users coming from these areas heading to Hamad International Airport, southern areas or northern areas throughout Doha.

In line with 2022 FIFA World Cup readiness, Al Watiyyat Interchange will facilitate the commute between the stadiums of Al Wakrah, Ras Bu Abboud and Al Thumama allowing fans to travel in a record time to attend the games. It directly connects to Al Thumama Stadium, this achievement comes as part of the infrastructural readiness to host this major worldwide event. The new interchange will facilitate new paths to the stadium goers where it consists of two bridges and six pedestrian and cycle underpasses that will provide an easy and safe journey to the stadiums.

Formerly known Khamees Al Obaidly Interchange will be replaced by another three-level interchange composed of three levels , consisting two bridges and nine vehicle underpasses to form a strategic free flow connection between Rawdat Al Khail Street, Industrial Area Road in both directions and E-Ring Road on the southern part of Doha Expressway.

Road users can also use tunnels that provide free traffic flow between the southern part of the Doha Expressway, as well as the E-Ring and F-Ring Road, Rawda Al Khail Street and Industrial Area Road.

Upon completion, this interchange will allow road users to avoid the traffic congestion on the surrounding roads to facilitate access to Nuaija, Al Mamoura, Al Thumama and Industrial areas.

The E-Ring and F-Ring Road upgrade project will improve access to economic and public facilities such as Hamad International Airport and the Industrial Area among others.

2.    Contract 2 – Mesaimeer Road Upgrade Project

The Mesaimeer Road Upgrade extends 4km along Mesaimeer Bridge via Mesaimeer south intersection (Bu Hamour Junction) to South of Al Waab intersection. The project will include the upgrade of Mesaimeer Road and part of Al Bustan Street to four lanes instead of three lanes in each direction, as well as upgrading three main interchanges to include Shehaniyah Intersection and Halul Roundbaout and Faleh Bin Nasser Intersection and the construction of two bridges with four lanes in each direction. The first bridge is 900m long and crosses over Bu Hamour Street at Al Shehaniya Interchange while the second cable-stayed bridge is 1.2km long. The project consists of an 8.4km of pedestrian and cycle paths spanning the whole length of the main carriageway in both directions in addition to the construction of three pedestrian bridges.

Upon the project completion, the road capacity is expected to accommodate 10,000 vehicles per hour in both direction, which will significantly reduce travel time up to 65%.

Mesaimeer Road Upgrade project will deliver connectivity to several main roads such as F-Ring Road, Industrial Area Road, Bu Hamour Street, Halul Street and Salwa Road which will serve as the connection to users heading from north to south and link many densely residential areas such as Bu Hamour, Mesaimeer, Al Mamoura and Al Waab. The project will also serve multiple public amenities such as the Wholesale Market in addition to businesses areas along Salwa Road and health and education facilities surrounding the area as well as close by residential compounds.

The Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ upgraded the surrounding areas and also included lanes expansion and conversion of all roundabouts to signalised junctions such as Bu Hamour Street, Halul Street, Al Jassasiya Street, Snay Bu Hasa Street and the Wholesale Market Street, Al Sidr Street parallel to Mesaimeer Road to enhance capacity and deliver a smooth traffic flow in the surrounding areas such as Bu Hamour and Al Waab while the construction works being conducted on Mesaimeer Road and Al Waab will enhance traffic flow in the surrounding areas.

3.    Contract 3 – Al Bustan Street South Upgrade

Al Bustan South Road project is the natural extension of the Mesaimeer Road upgrade project with a length of 3.1km and four lanes in each direction. Senay Bu Hasa intersection will also be upgraded as well as Al Waab intersection and Lekhwiya Roundabout, 10 bridges will be constructed to provide 18.2km of pedestrian and cycle paths.

The project includes the longest bridge in Qatar with a length of 2.6km over Snay Bu Hasa, Al Waab Street and Al Rasheeda Street.

Main Interchanges

•    Al Waab / Al Bustan Interchange

A three-level interchange between Al Waab Street and South of Al Bustan Street. This interchange includes a bridge providing a free traffic flow along Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor as well as two Flyovers to connect the traffic between Al Waab Street and Al Bustan Street, reducing traffic congestion at Al Waab intersection.

•    Snay Bu Hasa/Al Bustan Interchange

A two-level signalised junction. This interchange will improve traffic flow along Snay Bu Hasa and provide access to Al Waab area.

•    Al Rasheeda Interchange/Al Bustan Interchange

A two-level signalised junction. This junction will provide a free flow connectivity to Al Rasheeda Street , Al Khufoos, and Al Sadd Street and improve the accessibility to residential areas including Fereej Al Emir and Luaib.

4. Contract 4 – Al Bustan Street North Upgrade

Located at the northern far end of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor, Al Bustan Street North Upgrade will provide a link between Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor and 22 Februaury Street; it is also considered one of the iconic architectural icons because the project is located in a densely populated areas in the heart of Doha.

The project will upgrade 3.6km of roads from east of Al Luqta Roundabout to Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor with Mekkah Street. The project includes the upgrade of main roads intersecting the Corridor, such as 1.7km of Al Shamal Road, Khalifa Avenue and Al Ittihad Street, as well as parallel service roads. The project includes the upgarde of Al Bustan Street to four lanes in each direction instead of three lanes to increase the capacity to about 8,000 vehicles per hour and improve the level of traffic safety.

The main carriageway on Al Bustan Street will be upgraded from three to four lanes in each direction to increase the vehicular capacity by up to 80,00 vehicles per hour and improve the road safety.

The project consists of four interchanges with 13 vehicular bridges and underpasses, in addition to pedestrian and cycle paths of 16km will be parallel service roads to serve the surrounding areas such as Madinat Khalifa, Duhail and Al Gharrafa.

Al Bustan Street works as a main link between Umm Lekhba, Al Gharrafa, Al Luqta and Madinat Khalifa north to connect many commercial facilities and residential areas. It also links a number of important roads, such as Al Shamal Road, Al Luqta Street, Mekkah Street and Al Rayyan Road

Main Interchanges

Umm Lekhba Interchange: will be the largest interchange in Qatar, as it comprises nine bridges providing free flow connectivity in all directions. It links Al Markhiya Street to Doha Expressway and Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor.

Thani Bin Jassim Interchange: A multi-level bridge connecting Al Ittihad Street to Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor, facilitating traffic movements to road users from Al Bustan Street and Al Luqta to Al Gharrafa Area.

Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor/Khalifa Avenue: A multi-level intersection that includes a tunnel providing a free traffic flow along Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor linking Al Gharrafa to Al Luqta area and a ground-level traffic signals providing traffic flow in all directions.

Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor/Mekkah Street: A multi-level intersection that includes a tunnel which provides a smooth traffic along Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor linking Al Gharrafa to Al Luqta areas to the southern part of Al Rayyan project. Traffic signals at a ground-level will provide traffic control in all directions.