Residents seek urgent repair of potholed roads in Industrial Area

Several residents of the Industrial Area have appealed to the authorities to repair the roads that are in a very bad condition in the sprawling Doha neighbourhood as the rains forecast for the third week of this month would further worsen the situation.
A number of roads in the area have been repaired and many others are earmarked for restoration. While acknowledging these developments, the residents feel that many of the inner roads and lanes are in a pathetic condition and need urgent attention as they have been in a bad shape for years.
Coupled with heavy traffic, the poor condition of these roads cause a lot of inconvenience to motorists and residents, they said. “The forthcoming rains will exacerbate the situation as the craters on the roads will be filled with water,  making it impossible for drivers to avoid the ‘pits’.”
There are a number of parallel roads along the main streets  that are in poor shape. A drive through the area by a Gulf Times correspondent showed that many of these roads needed immediate attention.
The entire stretch of the main road passing through the Al Attiya Market neighbourhood, extending from Street 1 until the end of the area, has been marked for repair and the process of reconstruction is already under way. Several other roads in the New Industrial Area have already been mended.
Inner lanes such as Streets 40, 41 and several others are in such poor shape that motorists and pedestrians find it highly difficult to pass through them. The tarmac on parts of some roads have worn out. Also, huge puddles have formed on some stretches on account of water leaking from nearby industrial units and other establishments.
Another inner road that is connected to the main road leading to the Asian Town has been closed for several months. Several sections of the road are full of potholes and filled with water, making it unusable. People living in the area also have to take detours to reach their residences, shops and other establishments.
With the weather becoming cooler and rain likely to arrive in the coming days, these roads can become a bigger headache for motorists as well as pedestrians, say residents. There is every possibility that many of them will get waterlogged and daily commuting can become a big problem if it rains as heavily as last year, they added. A recent weather report said the first rain of the season was likely around the middle of this month.
“Many of the inner lanes have been in such condition for some time now. While works are being carried out on several roads in the area, these inner lanes need to be fixed immediately as they are in a pathetic state,” said a resident of the area.
Another resident, who is a driver with a local company in the Industrial Area, said it is difficult and dangerous to drive through the roads during the rainy period. “Many of the roads get waterlogged when it rains and it is very difficult to drive through them. The holes on the roads, which are quite big, cause severe damage to vehicles and sometimes result in accidents. These roads have to be repaired urgently,” he noted.