One of Qatar’s last and busiest major roundabouts is being razed to make way for a new signalized intersection, Ashghal has announced.

Work on TV Roundabout began earlier this week, raising questions about whether diversions would affect traffic in the area.

However, the public works authority said in a statement yesterday that work will remain within the roundabout for the next two months.

It added that most upcoming detours and closures will take place over the summer.

The aim is to finish construction of the signal by this fall, ahead of the start of the new academic year for most children.

What’s coming up

However, once that’s done, Ashghal has ambitious plans to widen the streets leading up to the junction.

Khalifa St., Abdul Aziz bin Jassim St. and Ahmed bin Ali St. will all be expanded from three to four main lanes.

Protected right turn lanes will also be added at all four turning points, and new pedestrian crossings are coming up on each side of the intersection.

To make room for the extra lanes, several buildings are being demolished in the area.

Last year, at least a dozen businesses in two main buildings, one on the corner of Abdul Aziz bin Jassim St. and the other across the road on Khalifa St., were given notice by the government to vacate the premises.

Meanwhile, Ashghal said it is also planning to convert two roundabouts on Abdul Aziz bin Jassim St. into signalized intersections.

Bye bye roundabouts

TV Roundabout, which is so named because it sits at the corner of Al Jazeera Media Network’s headquarters, is one of the last and most congested junctions to be tackled by Ashghal.

Over the past few years, the public works authority has already converted the roundabouts near it, including Oryx, Burger King, Lejbailat and Dahl Al Hammam, into signalized intersections.

This year, it is also advancing on plans to dismantle Slope Roundabout near Education City, to make way for a new two-level intersection.

The work is part of the QR6.9 billion Dukhan Highway East project.

Thoughts?