Motorists traveling to northern Doha may need to leave some extra time for their commutes starting this weekend, as Qatar’s public works authority announces the start of two new road closures.
The first is the closing off of an entrance and exit from Lusail St. to Doha’s embassy district. Starting tomorrow, motorists will need to use lengthy diversions around West Bay Lagoon that will last 18 months, Ashghal said.
Meanwhile, a 4km northbound stretch of the Al Shamal Road will be closed for more than four months starting today, June 9, the authority added.
Lusail Street
The entrance to the embassy district at the junction of Lusail St. and Labhariya St. near Katara Cultural Village will be shut from tomorrow, June 10, until the end of 2017, the public works authority announced.
Traffic from the embassy district will be diverted via West Bay Lagoon and Legtaifiya Lagoon St. to the north, or Al Khafji St. in the south, Ashghal said.
The closure is part of the ongoing construction of the Lusail Expressway – a QR3.5 billion development that will link Doha’s business district with the new city of Lusail through an extensive overhaul of the old Al Istiqlal Road.
Over the past few years, there have been numerous diversions and road closures to keep traffic flowing as work continues on the new route, which is expected to be completed sometime next year.
It will include four highway lanes with additional filter lanes, three large interchanges and connections with the Pearl-Qatar and Katara.
Al Shamal Road
Another set of diversions will be in place on a 4km length of Al Shamal Road starting today.
The northbound carriageways will be closed from 800m to the South of Al Kharaitiyat Interchange, past Ikea until 700m to the north of Al Kheesa interchange.
Traffic will be diverted to the southbound carriageway, which will become a two-way route until the works are scheduled to be complete by the end of October.
Throughout the construction, two or three lanes will remain open to traffic in both directions, Ashghal said.
The authority has not given a reason for this closure, but a number of new intersections are being built in the area, including a new set of roads that will link to Ikea to the under-construction Doha Festival City.
That mall was due to open this September, but its CEO said in April that the launch date would be pushed back to February 2017 due to issues with the “supporting infrastructure.”
Thoughts?
