DOHA - The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced traffic diversions on the North Road with effect from today due to the first phase of road upgradation work.
A one-kilometre stretch of the road near Al Gharaffa Bridge Roundabout towards the north will be completely closed for a period of 10 days, according to Nasser Rashid Al Nuaimi, Project Manager.
Commuters going towards Shamal may take alternative routes, by turning towards the Refira Roundabout, passing through the Duhail Army Camp and then entering he North Road. However, the return route from north towards south will remain open.
Another partial closure will be implemented along a 1.5 km stretch of the road starting from a point after the Immigration Roundabout opposite Ettihad Street. This partial closure will also begin from today for a 10-day period.
The first phase of the North Road project begins from the Immigration Bridge up to 3.5 km along the north, adding a third lane to the road so the entire stretch will be a three-lane dual carriageway. A service road along 4.5 km is also covered in this phase.
The Landmark Interchange consists of a north to south over-bridge at ground level and an east to west 1.2-km tunnel. In addition, there will be an intersection with traffic lights and another intersection in the newly-designed tunnel, a first for the country.
The existing bridge will be expanded to accommodate three lanes in each direction instead of two. Renovation of the ground-level roundabout is currently going on. Meanwhile, Zayed Mansour Al Khayarin, Ashghal Board Member and CEO, yesterday met Yukio Kitazmi, the Japanese ambassador to Qatar.
Khalifa Hashim Al Sada, Ashghal's Head of External Relations at the Public Relations Department also attended the meeting. The two sides reviewed issues of common interest and cooperation between Qatar and Japan, especially in the field of infrastructure. The projects overseen by Ashghal under its five-year plan and the abundant investment opportunities for worldwide contracting companies were presented before the diplomat.
Construction technology offered by Japanese firms will be shown by that country's delegation, headed by the Deputy Minister of Land and Infrastructure during their participation in the 'Project Qatar 2008' exhibition to be held here from April 7.
© The Peninsula 2008
