Work has started on a new expressway project in south Doha, Qatar, which will connect the Orbital Highway to the Hamad International Airport.

The new East West Corridor is expected to be Qatar’s widest road, and will feature five lanes in each direction stretching from west of Barwa City to Al Matar Street south of the Air Force Roundabout, Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) revealed.

Preliminary work, including temporary fencing and debris clearance, has already begun as construction will be simultaneously undertaken on the east and west corridor.

The project will be delivered by two contractors – a joint venture of Joannou and Paraskevaides (Overseas) and J&P-Avax, and China Harbour Engineering Company.

The project, comprising the construction of 22 km of a new dual carriageway, will have eight grade-separated interchanges. They will provide new access to key roads and residential areas such as Al Matar Street, Najma Street Extension, Barwa Access Road and the new Al Wakrah Bypass.

Work will cover the upgrade and relocation of utilities, new road lighting, installation of an intelligent transport system and stormwater drainage.

The project will see the installation of 2,842 m of drainage lines and over 140,000 m of irrigation lines. It will facilitate interfaces with the metro rail to allow a future long distance rail corridor.

Meanwhile, the new Al Wajbah underpass, part of the newly constructed Al Wajbah interchange of Dukhan Highway Central Expressway project, has been completed, according to Ashghal.

Two lanes in each direction will be opened through the Al Wajbah underpass to allow traffic from Dukhan towards Doha in one direction and from Bani Hajer roundabout towards Dukhan in the other.

The opening of the interchange will be carried out in stages with the underpass open to traffic in the first stage. This will be followed by the overbridge roundabout of the new interchange, which is expected to be opened for traffic within the next few weeks.

The Dukhan Highway Central project includes the construction of 15 km of a new highway starting from west of the existing Al Wajbah interchange and ending east of the town of Al Sheehaniya.

The project also comprises a dual carriageway with four lanes, service roads and cycle track in each direction.

The project, launched in 2011, also includes the construction of two underpass interchanges at New Wajbah and Al Dehailiyat Army Camp.