Ashghal partially opens new bridge at Bu Hamour
THE Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has partially opened a new 900-metre bridge along Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor in Bu Hamour area.
The new bridge connects traffic flow along Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor from Hamad International Airport towards Al Thumama, Mesaimeer, Wholesale Market Street through Haloul Intersection, Salwa Road and Al Mamoura up to Al Waab and Al Rayyan.
The new bridge is an artery lying in the heart of a densely populated area that contains many significant facilities such as petrol stations, shopping malls and markets (such as Wholesale Market), schools and health institutions. The new bridge consists of four lane dual carriageway with a capacity of about 16,000 vehicles per hour.
Director of Projects Affairs at Ashghal Eng Youssef Al Emadi stressed that Ashghal’s projects were not affected by the unfair siege of more than three years and that the pace of work goes according to the plans laid out. He said the authority relied heavily on the local component, through locally produced materials and local companies, achieving a tangible boom in the country’s infrastructure sector.
On the other hand, Highway Projects Department Manager Eng Bader Darwish confirmed that Ashghal has completed implementation of about 790 km of highway network, which is considered as a good testimony to the fact that the construction process was not affected by the unjust siege of about three years.
He pointed out that Ashghal has opened most of highway network during the siege period, which caused a qualitative shift in the movement of goods and people in all parts of the country, especially strategic areas, ports, Hamad International Airport, Industrial Area and other vital facilities.
THE Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor has witnessed several openings since its inception in 2019, more than 70 percent of the vital road works have been completed and upon completion it will link the south and north parts of Doha without the need to pass through Doha Expressway and 22 February Street.
For his part, Engineer Abdulla al Naimi from the Highway Projects Department said Bu Hamour Bridge has been designed and built according to the latest technologies used in constructing bridges, through the installation and assembly of pre-casted concrete parts, using giant cranes, especially since the bridge consists of 100 concrete pieces, each weighing about 200 tonnes each.
Nuaimi said the bridge will reduce the travel time by more than 90 percent for commuters from Mesaimeer Bridge in the direction of Halul Intersection and vice versa.
In order to enable completion of remaining works of the bridge, Ashghal temporarily closed the traffic on the signalised junction between Al Shehaimiya Street and Bu Hamour Street while maintaining right turns open from all direction in addition to free flow traffic along Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor for two months.
Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor will extend for approximately 25 kilometres from HIA to Umm Lekhba Interchange (known as Landmark Interchange) on Doha Expressway. In addition, Ashghal will enhance 12 kilometres of local and peripheral roads intersecting with the corridor. The total road works of the project is approximately 37 kilometres.