The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) opened the Tilted Intersection, which is part of the Khalifa Avenue project, to traffic on Friday.
The Tilted Intersection is the main link between Al Gharrafa, Huwar Street, Al Luqta Street and Khalifa Avenue, as they integrate with the intersection.
It connects Al Gharrafa Street and Huwar Street over a length of 2.7km, which will significantly reduce traffic congestion and travel time for road users heading to Doha, Al Gharrafa, Al Rayyan and Al Luqta, and facilitate the access to Gharrafat Al Rayyan, Bani Hajer and Dukhan, Ashghal has said in a statement.
With these openings, people coming from Al Shamal Road and heading towards Al Rayyan and Qatar Foundation can use the new tunnel and intersection across Al Gharrafa Street and Huwar Street without the need to use 22 February Street and thereby avoid congestion there.
The openings will also help serve traffic headed for Education City Stadium, which will open at the end of this year and host the semi-finals and final of the FIFA World Club Cup to be held in Qatar in December.
Further, the intersection will facilitate access to several vital facilities in the area, such as Sidra Medicine, Qatar National Convention Centre, Qatar Foundation and Education City, the statement notes.
The intersection was opened in the presence of Mohamed bin Hamoud al-Shafi, Central Municipal Council (CMC) chairman; Yousef Abdulrahman al-Emadi, Projects Affairs director at Ashghal; Brigadier Mohamed Marafi, director of the Traffic Engineering and Safety Department at the General Directorate of Traffic; and Bader Darwish, Highway Project Department manager, along with a number of engineers from Ashghal and the contracting company.
The Tilted Intersection includes a signalised roundabout and features a new design, which will enable Khalifa Avenue's main free-flowing traffic to pass through it, similar to the Gharrafat Al Rayyan Interchange to facilitate traffic and serve as a link between Doha, Dukhan, Al Gharrafa and Al Rayyan.
Moreover, the number of lanes at the new intersection has been increased, with three main lanes in each direction and two service lanes to accommodate approximately 8,500 vehicles.
Ashghal also stressed that it has completed 92% of the construction works on Khalifa Avenue Project, which is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2020.
The authority has been keen to carry out landscaping and beautification works at the Tilted Intersection and a tunnel in accordance with the country’s plan to beautify streets that are part of the Khalifa Avenue project works.
On this occasion, CMC chairman al-Shafi expressed happiness at the opening of the Tilted Intersection.
He noted that the opening of the tunnel and intersection in one month shows the keenness of Ashghal to complete project works as early as possible.
He explained that these openings mainly serve the residents of Al Gharrafa, Al Luqta and Al Rayyan, as well as the vital surrounding facilities such as Qatar Foundation, Education City, Sidra Medicine and others.
Al-Emadi said Ashghal recently completed a number of openings on the Khalifa Road project to achieve the completion of 92% of construction works, noting that Ashghal was keen to maintain the symbolism of the intersection by keeping it relatively tilted as it used to be.
He also hinted that Ashghal seeks to complete the Khalifa Avenue project works by next year after the completion of the rest of the intersections and beautification works on the road.
Brigadier Marafi said the opening of the Tilted Intersection will help improve traffic in different directions — whether it’s from Al Gharrafa Street, Huwar Street, Al Luqta Street or Khalifa Avenue Road.
He also noted that the new design of the intersection will help achieve smooth traffic flow and reduce travel time.
Road users on Al Luqta Street will have to use the main road passing through the roundabout to go to Dukhan and vice-versa.
Motorists on Al Luqta Street heading north towards Al Gharrafa, or south towards Al Rayyan, will have to use the service lanes, take the roundabout and follow the signs to reach their destinations.
