Less than two years after undergoing a revamp, Qatar’s Corniche is once again being repaired after what some critics are calling a shoddy construction job.

In a statement this week, Ashghal said it found damage to the top layer of asphalt on several parts of the Corniche, from the post office to the National Theater.

The public works authority said the contractor responsible for laying the asphalt in the first place would be replacing it over the next few days.

Speaking to Al Sharq, Central Municipal Council (CMC) member Abdullah Al Sulaiti cited a lack of loyalty from foreign companies as a major cause of quality control issues in Qatar.

However, though Ashghal did not name the contractor responsible for the asphalt damage, many of the companies involved on the Corniche overhaul project appear to be locally-based.

Penalties

Al Sulaiti also called on Ashghal to fine and blacklist companies that fail to meet quality control standards.

The idea of penalizing firms that don’t adhere to their contracts is one the authority has been discussing for months.

In April, an Ashghal official told the CMC that the organization was considering introducing fines as a way to keep projects on schedule and reduce the public impact of having so many dug-up roads in Qatar.

In 2013 and 2014, pieces of the $55 million Corniche overhaul, which included the conversion of several roundabouts into signalized junctions, were actually completed ahead of schedule, to the delight of motorists frustrated by construction-related delays.

But that deadline pressure may have contributed to the final product’s quality control issues, said CMC member Mohamed Dhafir Al Hajri.

“Such mistakes are bound to happen due to a variety of reasons. Sometimes there may be a hurry to finish a project in time,” Al Hajri told Al Sharq.

According to Ashghal, work on the Corniche will continue until Sunday, Aug. 9.

Thoughts?