The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has stressed that it has accomplished some key projects in preparation for the new academic year (2018/2019), which begins today.
“In light of the government’s directives and Qatar National Vision 2030, Ashghal is keen on delivering integrated infrastructure and public buildings that serve all sectors in Qatar, including education,” the authority said in a press statement yesterday.
Ashghal noted that it had accelerated work on projects that served a number of schools and provided safe passage to students. It partially opened Al Ma’adid Street in the Al Maamoura area and Al Qattara Street in Al Wakrah.
Construction is under way to open Shura Intersection and Fereej Kulaib next week, according to Ashghal.
The authority has completed four projects in terms of the development of local roads and infrastructure in different areas in 2018: Rawdat Rashid, Bani Hajer North, Al Aziziya East and Rawdat Aba Al Hayran, reaching a total of 28 projects. The upgrade works involve 18,807 residential subdivisions and 1,829 new land plots, providing easy access to school goers.
Ashghal has also accomplished up to 500km of expressways until this month, which link students living in the external areas to Doha and provide better traffic movement in Doha as well, the statement notes.
Further, the authority has accomplished 171 new schemes as part of the School Zone Safety Programme, in line with its strategy pertaining to traffic safety and students. As for educational facilities, it has implemented new requirements for fire protection at 33 schools this year.
Ashghal has built 73 school and 37 kindergartens in and around Doha since 2013 and also constructed research and educational facilities, such as the Aquatic Research Centre, that serve Qatar University (QU) and the Ministry of Municipality and Environment. It also established the Itqan Medical Simulation Centre that provides research and training facilities for surgeries as well as for QU College of Medicine students and other medical staff.
External areas
Ashghal has highlighted the completion of new highways such as Dukhan Road, which serve students from areas lying on the west of Qatar such as Al Sheehaniya, Lejmiliya, Leatooriya and Rawdat Rashid. “The opening of G-Ring Road and the southern part of Doha Expressway are a breakthrough for students in the southern areas, and students living in Al Wakrah and Al Wukair can access Qatar University or Education City in record time,” it noted.
The opening of large parts of Orbital Road also helps serve thousands of students and reduce the travel time between the south and north by more than 50%. Students can reach Education City, the Community College of Qatar (CCQ) or QU directly. The route extends from Mesaieed in the south to intersect with a number of major roads in the country such as Al Wukair Road, G-Ring Road, Al Sailiya Road, Dukhan Road, Al Rufaa Street, Al Shamal Road towards Lusail and Al Khor and Ras Laffan on the other side.
Ashghal has opened an extension of Rawdat Al Khail Street (Industrial Area Road), which includes the Industrial Area Road and parts of Central Market Street. This has contributed to easing traffic congestion in surrounding areas such as Abu Hamour, Mesaimeer and Ain Khalid, which are home to a number of schools.
Qatar University
Areas housing three institutions have benefited significantly from Ashghal projects in recent times, namely QU, College of the North Atlantic – Qatar and CCQ, as well as several schools in areas such as Duhail, Dafna, West Bay and nearby areas, the statement points out. Ashghal has opened roads that serve thousands of students every day, including Lusail Expressway, which connects traffic coming from the heart of Doha towards QU and shortens the travel time by more than 70%.
The accomplishment of the Al Shamal Road enhancement project has facilitated “great traffic flow” for those coming from western Doha such as Al Gharafa, Al Rayyan, Al Kharaitiyat and Umm Slal and using Al Shamal Road, through the completion of the Izghawa, Al Kharaitiyat, Al Khaissa and Umm Slal Mohammed interchanges.
Ashghal has developed streets leading to the three institutions. In Al Duhail, it has boosted the flow of traffic coming from all parts of Doha. The works have included the development and expansion of large parts of Arab League Street as well Duhail Al Tarfa Street, Qtaifan Street, Wadi Al Jaiah Street, Shafalahiyah Street and Al Khafji Street. Roads have been expanded and turned into intersections, thereby helping achieve smooth vehicular flow for people coming from Al Duhail Intersection and Al Shamal Road.
Education City
Education City is particularly important as it receives thousands of students daily. Ashghal has opened a number of projects that provide smooth traffic to the area, including Khalifa Avenue, where four lanes have been from the main road with a length of more than 6km, Gharafat Al Rayyan Interchange and Bani Hajer Interchange, which connects Doha and Al Rayyan through its connection to Al Rayyan Road, which was opened in the first phase.
Al Ma’adid Street
Parts of the project have been opened to facilitate safe entry and exit for students to schools in the area, and many parking spaces have been provided, Ashghal has said. The Al Ma’adid Street project aims to increase the capacity of the street, necessitated by the presence of a large number of public and private schools in addition to a driving institute.
The project also seeks to facilitate traffic flow on the side roads by providing five roundabouts, in addition to enhancing traffic safety for road users through the provision of service roads for schools. It also aims to provide safe entrances and exits to and from schools and residential facilities and allocate more than 1,000 parking spaces on both sides of the road to serve schools and residents in the area.
Al Qattara St, Al Wakrah
Ashghal has developed and opened Al Qattara Street with a length of 1.4km and one lane in each direction linking it to Wakrah Hospital Street to facilitate access to Qatar Academy (part of Qatar Foundation). It is planned to connect Al Qattara Street north of Abu Al Hairan Street and complete the remaining parts of Abu Al Hairan Street to ensure smooth traffic flow and quick access from the academy to the highway and vice-versa.
Al Shura Intersection
Ashghal is currently working on the development of Al Shura Intersection, which aims to increase the number of lanes at the intersection in all directions from three to four, which will lead to increased traffic flow there. The project also includes the construction of a rainwater drainage network and a new drinking water line to serve Hamad Hospital, the renovation of some old water lines on Al Rayyan Street, which serves citizens in the neighbouring areas, as well as the construction and renovation of the communications network on Al Rayyan Street. The entire project is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2018.
Freej Kulaib Intersection
The intersection includes several schools, including Al Bayan Primary School, Doha English Speaking School and Amna Bint Wahab High School. The project includes the transformation of the Freej Kulaib roundabout and the old traffic roundabout into traffic signals and increasing the capacity of the road with the development of Al Jazeera Intersection.