Qatar’s public works authority will institute a major traffic diversion this week on the main road connecting Al Wakrah with Doha, with detours that are expected to last until the end of 2016.

Starting Tuesday, March 31, southbound motorists used to traveling on the roughly 2km stretch of Al Wakrah Rd. between just south of Barwa Village to the roundabout at Ras Abu Funtas Rd. will be diverted onto a temporary road running parallel to the existing street.

Ashghal said the temporary road will contain three lanes running in either direction, the same as the existing road. A new set of traffic lights will be installed at the southern edge of the detour at Ras Abu Funtas Rd.

The diversion will be implemented in two phases, starting with southbound traffic this week. Northbound traffic will be moved to the temporary road on Wednesday, April 8.

The detour is expected to be in place until the fourth quarter of 2016, Ashghal said, adding that the closure is required to make way for two major transportation projects.

The first is construction of the East-West Corridor Expressway, a new 10-lane highway running from Al Matar (Airport) St., south of Air Force Roundabout, to west of Barwa City. The new transportation corridor will effectively link the Industrial Area to Hamad International Airport and the new port.

The other project in the area is the Doha Metro’s Red Line South, which will run from Msheireb to Al Wakrah. The southernmost part of the line is planned to run at ground level or on elevated tracks along Al Wakrah Rd.

Najma Street

Elsewhere in Qatar, one lane along a busy road in a dense area of Doha will soon be closed for the next three months.

Ashghal said the lane closure will begin on Tuesday and last 90 days, as upgrades are conducted on the area’s sewer system.

The affected area will include the stretch of Najma St. between Al Mansoura St. and C-Ring Rd.

Southbound traffic headed toward C-Ring Rd. will be diverted off Najma St. and forced to turn right onto Nawfal Bin Al Harith St. Motorists will then turn left onto Saleem Bin Al Hareth St. until they reach Abha St., which can be used to get back onto Najma St.

Northbound traffic, meanwhile, will be shifted onto the southbound lanes of Najma St. between Abha St. and Nawfal Bin Al Harith St.

Meanwhile, Bin al Hareth St. – which runs parallel to Najma St., one block to the east – will be closed in both directions.

Thoughts?