His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the State of Qatar, and His Excellency Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al Ali Al Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the State of Kuwait, together inaugurated the Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. The inauguration coincides with celebration of the National Day and Liberation Day Anniversary of the State of Kuwait.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by prominent guests including Their Excellencies the ministers, a delegation from State of Kuwait, members of diplomatic missions in Qatar, heads of entities, senior Ashghal officials and representatives of the companies implementing the project.
It is worth noting that all the remaining works on the highway such as service roads, landscaping, beautification and tree plantation works are scheduled to complete by end of 2021.
On this occasion, His Excellency Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communication (MoTC) said, “We share the joy of our brethren in the State of Kuwait in their celebrations of National Day and anniversary of Liberation Day through the opening of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor, which depicts embodiment of fraternity between Qatar and Kuwait, firmly rooted in the wise and visionary leadership of the two State.
HE the Minister of MoTC added saying, “The new highway is an important addition to the land transport network of Qatar and a major link between the south and north of Qatar through Doha city. The corridor will contribute in reducing traffic congestion and achieve great traffic flow, serving other means of transport such as Hamad International Airport and Metro network through integration with many major roads such as Al Rayyan Road, Salwa Road and Al Shamal Road”.
His Excellency Dr. Eng. Saad bin Ahmed Al-Muhannadi, President of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) expressed delight in opening Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor on the occasion of celebration of National Day of the State of Kuwait. HE President of Ashghal pointed out that Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor comes in honor of the late Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, to commemorate his memory and to express loyalty to the Emir of Humanity.
H E President of Ashghal further clarified that the opening of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor to traffic comes a few months prior to the schedule, and it will serve about 25 residential neighborhoods such as Al Gharrafa, Al Luqta, Al Rayyan, Al Waab and Bu Hamour, as well as many commercial, educational, health facilities and other vital utilities.
H E President of Ashghal added saying that opening of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor will provide alternate route to the 22 February Street, contributing in reduced traffic congestion between south and north of Doha and cutting travel time by more than 70%. The corridor will serve many vital facilities in all parts of Doha, especially since the road directly connects with Hamad International Airport in the south, and links major roads such as Industrial Area Road, Salwa Road, Al Waab Street, Al Rayyan Road, connecting many economic, commercial, health and educational facilities.
On his part, Eng. Yousef Al Emadi, Director of Projects Affairs at Ashghal stressed that the government has spared no effort to complete the works as fast as possible using local materials in the implementation of the project at an estimated rate of 60% of works. He assured that the remaining works of the Corridor such as service roads, beautification and landscaping are being completed to deliver by the end of 2021.
On the other hand, His Excellency Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, confirmed that Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor is one of the vital road to facilitate movement of people to various World Cup stadiums, pointing out that the Corridor will not only facilitate movement, but cut the travel time to the stadiums, especially to Al Janoub Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium and Education City Stadium.
HE Al Thawadi added saying, “We rejoice on the opening of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor, as it is a step forward in Qatar’s preparations to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, and in fulfilling its obligations towards various infrastructure and roads projects associated with the World Cup, especially with regard to transportation plans and networks.”
HE Al Thawadi continued saying, “The super quality modern road network built by the state in recent years has contributed in changing the concept of people’s movement between stadiums and linking them, in a way that promises to provide a smooth and enjoyable trip experience for the fans and teams participating in the tournament, and to facilitate movement between accommodation facilities and training venues to fans areas and various tourist spots in Qatar, such that everyone can enjoy the close-range nature of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
About Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor
Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor extends from Hamad International Airport, south of Doha, to Umm Lekhba Interchange, (Landmark Interchange) on Al Shamal Road at a distance of more than 29 km, besides the length of newly developed service roads and perpendicular roads connecting with the Corridor, total project work reaches to an approximate length of 41 kilometers.
Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor is a four-lane dual carriage highway after converting the old road from two lanes in each direction and the vehicle capacity has increased from 8000 vehicles per hour on both directions to more than 20,000 vehicles per hour on both directions. The Corridor is also an ideal alternate route for commuters along Doha Expressway & 22 February Street, which accommodates about 12,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.
The old roundabouts and signaled intersections along the corridor are converted into 18 multi-level interchanges, 30 bridges and 15 underpasses to provide free flow traffic.
Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor also includes construction of pedestrian crossings including 7 bridges and two pedestrian underpasses, besides 50.5 km long bicycle and pedestrian paths to ensure safe movement of people, in addition to beautification and tree plantation works along an approximate area of 355,642 square meters.
Facts and Figures
The project included 6,300,000 cubic meters of excavation, backfilling and paving works as well as the use of approximately 1,442,000 tons of asphalt and 1,520,000 cubic meters of reinforced concrete. The infrastructure lines installed include 220km of communication lines, about 470 km of power lines, 205km of drainage lines extension and about 77km of treated sewer lines. It is worth noting that 60% of materials used in these works are locally made.
Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor "Lung of Doha"
Link between south and north of Doha & south of Qatar
Alternate route to Doha Expressway & 22 February Street
Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor is considered as ‘lung of Doha’. It will contribute greatly to ease traffic congestion in Doha in general, especially for those coming from south to north, as the road is an ideal alternate route to Doha Expressway & February 22nd Street, with better traffic flow, as the commuter from HIA through this road will reach Umm Lekhba Interchange on Al Shamal Road in less than 18 minutes, while the same journey through Doha Expressway & 22 February Street takes about 50 minutes, which means cutting 70% of travel time.
The new road is also a main link for those coming from the south of Qatar to its north through Doha city, as it will integrate Doha Expressway with its southern part (Al Wakra Parallel Road) and linking to Mesaieed Road through Al Thumama Stadium Interchange, which is considered a distribution point to the Doha Expressway on one hand, and to Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor on the other hand.
Special Features of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor
First road named ‘Corridor’ with distinct calligraphic naming
Due to the importance of the road named after Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, this is the first road in Qatar to be a corridor, and the name Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor is written on signboards in distinctive calligraphy similar to Al Majd Road, to distinguish it from the rest of the names of roads and streets in Qatar.
Integration of Mesaimeer Bridge, Bu Hamour Bridge and Cable-stayed Bridge
The Mesaimeer Bridge extended along 1600 meters, and the Bu Hamour Bridge of extended along 900 meters on the corridor to facilitate free flow traffic from the south of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor towards the cable- stayed bridge over Haloul intersection and Faleh Bin Nasser interchange.
Cable-Stayed Bridge
The 1200m long Cable-Stayed Bridge was designed to construct without columns up to a distance of 150 meters, taking into account all safety factors while constructing the bridge, including supporting the bridge with about 120 cables and 754 precast concrete pieces of more than 200 tons in weight and setting up 20 columns and 16 pillars to reach the height of the highest point from the bridge to 30 meters. This indigenous cable-stayed bridge will be a great leap in the traffic culture of Doha due to its strategic location above Haloul interchange and Faleh bin Nasser interchange on Salwa Road, where it will catch traffic coming to and from Hamad International Airport and will reduce traffic pressure on parallel roads such as Wholesale Market Street and Doha Expressway.
Al Waab Interchange, Murraikh Interchange & Longest Bridge in Qatar
Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor includes the longest bridge in Qatar with a length of 2.6 km extending over Al Waab Interchange, Murraikh Interchange and Snay Bu Hasa Interchange. The bridge consists of four lanes in each direction to provide free flow traffic for commuters from Salwa Road and Al Waab in the direction of Al Rayyan and Al Rayyan Road and vice versa.
Al Waab Interchange
Al Waab Interchange will be reopened after converting it from signaled intersection to a three level interchange to provide improved traffic flow in all directions. The interchange facilitates access to important roads such as Doha Expressway, Salwa Road and Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor. It consists of 3 bridges and a ground level signaled junction on Al Waab Street. The interchange will also provide traffic flow to neighborhood areas such as Al Waab, Fereej Al Soudan, Al Sadd, Mehairja, Al Rayyan and Muaither, where there are many educational institutions and health facilities, commercial outlets and residential neighborhoods.
The interchange will also facilitate access to a number of sports facilities such as Khalifa International Stadium, Jassim bin Hamad Stadium (Al Sadd), Ali bin Hamad Al Attiyah Hall and Aspire Zone, in addition to nearby metro stations along the Golden Line such as Al Sudan Station and Al Waab Station.
Murraikh Interchange
Murraikh Interchange is integrated with Al Waab Interchange, after converting Lekhwiya Roundabout into a two-level interchange. It is considered as a major access road providing parallel traffic to Al Waab Street and connecting traffic from Doha Expressway in the direction of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor and Al Khufoos Street to Al Furousiya Street, reducing traffic pressure on Al Waab Street. Murraikh Interchange is also connected with Al-Mokafaha Interchange that connects Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor with Al-Rayyan Road, which will reduce the parallel traffic movement on Doha Expressway and 22 February Street.
Deepest and Longest Underpass
The corridor project includes Al Rayyan Underpass, the longest and deepest two-way underpass with a length of 2.1 km, extending below Lebday Interchange (Al Mokafaha Interchange) at a depth of 25 meters. The underpass connects traffic coming from Al Waab, Murraikh interchanges and Makkah interchange in Al Luqta area without the need to use Al Rayyan Road.
Makkah Interchange
The project also includes Makkah Interchange, which consists of a bridge with four lanes in each direction, ensuring a free flow traffic between Al Rayyan and Al Gharrafa, and a signaled intersection that facilitates access to Al-Luqta area.
Al Luqta Underpass
The corridor includes the 500-meter long Al Luqta interchange that intersects with Khalifa Street, directly linking Al Luqta and Al Gharrafa, providing an alternative road to the nearby tilted intersection.
Umm Lekhba, the Biggest Interchange
Umm Lekhba Interchange is the largest interchange in Qatar, with a length of 11 km, and it is the first in Qatar in highest number of levels, consisting four levels and nine bridges that provide free traffic flow in all directions. It also includes the second highest bridge in Qatar with a height of 30 meters.
Umm Lekhba interchange is also significant in its position as the north gate to Doha city and a "distribution point" of traffic due to its strategic location. The interchange is located at the northern entrance to Doha city, where the heavy traffic movement to and from Doha towards Al Shamal direction, and it is located in an important spot where Al Shamal Road intersects with Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor.
In addition, the interchange is located in densely populated neighborhoods with many big commercial outlets, many governmental institutions, educational and health facilities, as well as big shopping complexes and markets.
The interchange can accommodate more than 20,000 vehicles per hour, as five out of nine bridges consist of two lanes in one direction, while the other four bridges are of one-way lane.
The interchange will reduce traffic pressure on Al Shamal Road, especially at Al Gharrafa Interchange (Immigration Interchange) and Al Duhail Interchange. It will also provide excellent traffic flow for commuters from Doha Corniche, Al Markhiya, Madinat Khalifa and Al Duhail in the direction of Al Shamal Road, Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor, Al Gharrafa and Gharrafat Al Rayyan areas, reaching up to Al Luqta and Al Rayyan.
Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor - a vital artery in the heart of Doha
Residential neighborhoods and major roads
The new corridor is a major link connecting about 15 major roads including Doha Expressway, Al Wakra Road, Ras Bu Abboud Street, G Ring Road, Industrial Area Road, Salwa Road, Al Rayyan Road, Al Waab Street, Al Luqta Street, Al Markhiya Street and Al Shamal Road, which serves more than 25 densely populated residential neighborhoods such as Al-Thumama, Bu Hamour, Al Waab, Al Rayyan, Al Luqta and Al Gharrafa among others.
Sports Facilities and World Cup Stadiums
Sabah Al-Ahmad Corridor facilitates access to most of FIFA 2022 World Cup stadiums including Ras Bu Abboud Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Education City Stadium, as well as many other sports facilities such as Aspire Zone, Al Gharrafa stadium, Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (Al Sadd) and Ali bin Hamad Al Attiyah Hall.
Doha Metro
Sabah Al Ahmad corridor project integrates with the metro network by connecting with several stations including Free Zone Station, Al Waab Station, Al Rayyan Al Qadeem Station, Oqba Ibn Nafei Station and Al Sudan Station.
Economic entities
Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor contributes to linking important economic organizations in the country from Hamad International Airport passing through Free Zone, Municipal Market to the commercial outlets beside Al Waab Interchange and Umm Lekhba Interchange. The corridor also facilitates access to Doha Industrial Area through its link with Industrial Area Road.
Health and educational facilities
As for health facilities, Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor, by linking with the highway network in the country, provide best way to reach health facilities around the route including Sidra Medicine Hospital, Mesaimeer Health Center and Al Thumama Health Center. The corridor also facilitates access to many educational institutions including institution in the Education City, besides many schools and nearby institutes.