The Public Works Authority (Ashghal), in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior (MoI), held an awareness campaign about Orbital Road, which reduces travel time by roughly 50% from the south to the centre and the north of the country.
The roads lanes currently bear approximately 8,000 vehicles per hour and facilitate smooth traffic. It has become one of the safest routes in the country, thanks to its seven lanes (five of which are currently open) and the separate lanes of trucks and cars, the hard shoulders and lights along the whole highway unlike the old road which comprised only two lanes for heavy and light vehicles alike.
For a distance of over 125km, the Orbital Road is meeting a number of key highways that feed several residential and business areas.
The Orbital Road connects at Bu Jood Interchange with G-Ring Road, a key highway which opened recently ushering in a radical change in the traffic scenario in the country. Such connectivity creates a streamlined traffic for all movements coming to and from the north and Doha, Hamad International Airport (HIA) as well as Industrial Area and Mesaieed in the south.
Also, the people residing in Al Wakra, Al Wukair and south Doha can use G-Ring Road to join the Orbital Road, then head for Al Khor and Lusail in the north or Dukhan in the west through a seamless traffic.
Salwa Road is another vital artery that is meeting with the Orbital Road at Interchange 24 (Mesaieed Interchange). Travellers from the areas such as Industrial Area, or housing areas of Ain Khalid, Umm Al Senee, Al Waab or Al Murra could travel on the Orbital Road towards Mesaieed in the south or Al Khor in the north or Dukhan in the West, avoiding traffic in Doha or 22 February Street.
The Orbital Road is branched into two major routes, one towards Lusail which intersects with Al Shamal Road at Al Mazrooah Interchange, and another one towards Al Khor, which intersects with Al Shamal Road at Umm Asmira Interchange.
Therefore, travellers coming from Umm Slal and Al Kheesa can enjoy a journey to Mesaieed crossing over Dukhan Road and Mall of Qatar, then continue to Salwa Road with no need to commute within Doha or on the Doha Expressway.
Travellers from Al Khor can go straight to Dukan Road through the Orbital Road through the outskirts of Al Sheehaniya. They can continue to Salwa Road to reach areas in the souhern Doha and Hamad International Airport via G-Ring Road in addition to the southern parts of Qatar like Al Wakra , Al Wukair and Mesaieed.
The opening of the Khuwaitim Interchange this month to involve five lanes on the dual carriageway of the Orbital Road for a distance of 6.5km will help connect Khuwaitim Interchange with Birkat Al Awamer Interchnage. The opening will double the road capacity and ensure flawless traffic movement.
The opening also includes two lanes of the main bridge along with the four loops and the right turns of the junction to and from the Orbital Road carriageway. The new junction will emerge as a key access point to link the traffic to and from the Hamad Port, Mesaieed Road, G-Ring Road, Salwa Road and Dukhan Road towards Al Shamal Road and Al Khor.
Khuwaitim interchange has a significant location as it provides free flowing traffic for the trucks heading for Mesaieed besides Al Afja Area where there are some waste treatment plants. There is also a direct connection with Al Afja area and expansion of the road leading to four lanes in each direction.
It is hoped that the new junction will help reduce travelling time considerably. The road to Al Afja area has been widened to five lanes that would lead to better road capacity besides improving its safety.
The last year featured the opening of more than 125km of the Orbital Road, stretching from the Hamad Port Interchange to Al Shamal Road along with some junctions. The 14km-long Hamad Port Road was opened to connect Hamad Port and G-Ring Road, and include four lanes in each direction, easing the movement of trucks between Hamad Port and Industrial Area, and enhancing the movement of goods between the port and all areas of the country.
Hamad Port Road is expected to reduce travel time by more than 15% especially since the road capacity is more than 8,000 vehicles per hour in each direction.
The new road extends from Umm Al Howl Interchange on Mesaieed Road to G-Ring Road and it connects with the East Industrial Street through a tunnel at the East Street 33 Interchange. This interchange was formerly known as Al Watan Roundabout, which was rebuilt recently to form a free-flowing road between Hamad Port and Hamad International Airport until Salwa Road.
