All photos of Lusail Expressway construction courtesy of Ashghal

Amid ongoing work on the new Lusail Expressway, Ashghal has announced that a stretch of Onaiza St. (which used to be known as Al Istiqlal St.) will be closed for a year, starting Saturday, Dec. 19.

The road will be shut from the junction of Ibn Manzur St. (across from West Bay Petrol Station) up to the intersection with Omar Al Mukhtar St. The traffic lights at that junction will also be closed, the public works authority said in a statement.

This will affect traffic heading from the Qatar Sports Club area toward Katara Cultural Village and the Pearl-Qatar. Instead, commuters will need to take a detour via Ibn Manzur Street, Al Meshrif Street, Al Khulaifat Street and Al Bayan Street, Ashghal advised.

Alternatively, commuters could travel north through Dafna/West Bay.

New route

The latest set of diversions follow the closure of Arch (Rainbow) roundabout in October 2013 to make way for a three-level interchange on the Lusail Expressway connecting Dafna and West Bay with the upcoming Lusail development.

The closure, which is expected to be in place until Dec. 31, 2016, is to allow for construction of the QR3.5 billion highway that will connect Lusail city with Doha’s main business district, via Katara.

The new route will include four highway lanes with additional filter lanes, three large interchanges and connections with the Pearl-Qatar and Katara.

“Extensive artscape” along the length of the road will be a key feature.

In March this year, Malaysia-based contractor Eversendai announced it had won a QR263 million contract for the construction of the Al Wahda Arches and visitors’ center.

This will include two arches, with a visitors’ center suspended 40 meters above the road that can be accessed by cable car.

Construction of the Lusail Expressway is expected to be completed in mid-2017, according to Ashghal’s website.

Thoughts?