Ashghal
Al Messila tunnel
Just in time for Eid holidays and the imminent start of the school year, Ashghal has finished work on TV intersection.
Located near Al Jazeera, the junction had been one of the last roundabouts in the area to be converted into a signalized intersection.
It, along with several other projects, open to traffic today, the public works authority has announced.
That includes a new road tunnel and underpass in Al Messila.
The reconstructed route links Al Rayyan Road with Jassim Bin Hamad St. and should speed up journey times from Madinat Khalifa and Al Messila toward Al Sadd, and westwards through Al Rayyan and beyond.
Widened roads and improved service routes should also reduce congestion in the area, which had been diverted onto local streets during the construction works, the public works authority said in a statement this week.
Ashghal
Al Messila tunnel and intersection
The Al Messila tunnel is part of phase 2 of the Al Rayyan Road development program.
The project entails overhauling 5.5km of the artery route from west of Sports Roundabout to the west of Abdullah bin Khalid roundabout.
Sports Roundabout is currently being converted into a signal-controlled intersection. So is the roundabout mid-way on Jassim bin Hamad St., connecting with Al Jazeera Al Arabiya St.
Umer Shabib
Demolition of Sports Roundabout in June
In addition to the Al Messila tunnel and TV intersection, two tunnels beneath the Pearl interchange open today. And so does Ali bin Abi Talib St. between the Expressway and C-Ring Road.
Tunnel works
Work to overhaul Al Messila junction began in June 2015. At that time, the southern section of Jassim bin Hamad St. closed to allow for the construction of the new tunnel and intersection.
Ashghal
Rendering of new Al Messila underpass with Al Rayyan Road running above Jassim bin Hamad St
The reconstructed interchange includes 2km of Al Rayyan Road, which has been widened to four lanes in each direction, increasing capacity from 5,700 to 7,600 vehicles an hour.
The new junction means traffic on Al Rayyan Road will be free-flow, from east-to-west.
The tunnel below it allows traffic coming eastbound on Al Rayyan Road to access Jassim Bin Hamad St. without having to drive to Sports intersection.
The construction of the underpass, service routes and new slip roads has been a key part of the Expressway program.
Ashghal
Al Messila tunnel and intersection construction
Nearly 3,000 workers were employed on the site, Ashghal said.
They poured enough concrete to fill 4,477 Olympic sized swimming pools, and excavated 2.7 million cubic meters of material – which would fill 843 Airbus A380 aircraft.
They also laid utility lines that would extend to half the length of Qatar’s coastline, the public works authority said.
Al Rayyan Road upgrade
The new intersection is one of six multi-level junctions being built as part of the expansion of Al Rayyan Road. The project is scheduled to be finished by the end of next year.
The others, which are all under construction, include:
- A four-level, new Rayyan interchange;
- A new three-level junction with Al Bustan St.;
- The four-level Lebayah interchange;
- Khalid bin Abdullah Al Attiyah which will span three levels; and
- The dual level Old Al Rayyan interchange.
The first phase of the Al Rayyan Road development covered the western section of the route, some 2.9km from New Rayyan Roundabout to east of Bani Hajer Roundabout.
Will the new tunnel improve your journey? Thoughts?
