Lusail Expressway diversion to facilitate the construction of a pumping station

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced a temporary closure on Lusail Expressway 5/6 Interchange for vehicles heading from Corniche to Onaiza Street from April 13 until October 31. The closure is to allow the construction of Al Wahda pumping station.The closure has been announced in co-ordination with the General Directorate of Traffic and Ashghal has requested road users follow certain directions.  Road users coming from Corniche and heading towards Onaiza Street will have to continue straight onto Omar Al Mukhtar Street to reach the signalised intersection on Al Jamiaa Street. At the street they can make a U-turn and head back towards 5/6 Interchange and use the right exit onto Onaiza Street.For traffic heading from Lusail towards Corniche through 5/6 Interchange, the number of available lanes will be reduced from three to one. The number of lanes for traffic heading from Omar Al Mukhtar Street towards Corniche will be reduced from four to two.Ashghal will install road signs warning motorists about the diversion. Ashghal has urged all road users to adhere to the reduced speed limit of 60kph in order to ensure safety.9.16mn used HIA in first quarterQatar’s Hamad International Airport served some 9.16mn passengers in the first quarter of 2019, HIA said yesterday.HIA has also handled 56,573 aircraft movements and 505,581 tonnes of cargo from January to March this year.The state-of-the-art airport has served 3,175,316 passengers in January, 2,844,241 in February and 3,147,683 in March, which includes passengers arriving, departing and transferring through Qatar’s airport, signifying a 5.07% increase from the previous year.The airport also handled 19,458 aircraft movements in January, 17,563 movements in February and 19,552 movements in March, which includes total number of aircraft take-offs and landings at the airport marking an 8.27% increase from the first quarter of 2018.HIA further handled 505,581 tonnes of cargo in the first quarter of 2019, with 160,218 tonnes in January, 154,168 tonnes in February and 191,194 tonnes in March.On the closure of the first quarter, Hamad International Airport chief operating officer Badr Mohamed al-Meer said: “The strong start to 2019 illustrates HIA’s accelerated and sustained growth. “As we continue to witness this steady growth, we are committed more than ever to empower our passengers and continue to provide them with a seamless and hassle-free journey at the airport. HIA operations will see an increased investment in cutting edge technology to help shape the future of the passenger experience in 2019”52mn by 2022HIA has also embarked on its second phase of expansion plans in early 2019, which will aim to accommodate more than 52mn passengers annually by 2022. The expansion plans will further see an increase in cargo capacity to 3mn tonnes per year, the airport said. In addition to physical capacity enhancements, HIA expects improvements in operational efficiency, including increased automation to allow 50% of passengers to perform self-check-in, increase in airspace capacity, and optimised baggage handling processes. “The expansion is a key part of Qatar’s preparations to host the 2022 World Cup where the country will witness a large number of visitors to the global sporting event,” HIA said.