The Sharq Crossing, one of the most important infrastructure projects in Qatar, will be nothing short of an architectural and design marvel, adding yet another feather to the country’s crown. The prestigious project is scheduled to see the beginning of construction in the third quarter of 2020 as announced by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) last week. The master plan features a major traffic connection linking the Airport area with the West Bay Financial District, Katara - the Cultural Village and beyond. Once complete, Sharq Crossing is set to revolutionise urban transport to such an extent that driving from Ras Bu Abboud to West Bay will take only about seven minutes, something unimaginable given the current routes and traffic conditions.
Considered a strategic hub for the main roads in the country, the project will consist of bridges spanning a total of 12km above sea level and connecting to each other through an underwater tunnel of 1km. To be built under the navigation channel, the underwater tunnel, will ensure smooth passage of ships over it. The details of the Sharq Crossing, expected to be completed within four years, were announced at a briefing session convened as per the directives of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani. Ashghal invited local contractors with the aim of forming alliances with international companies with regard to the implementation. The session included a presentation on the project details and the timetable for launching the project and its implementation so that local contractors can start their preparations and submit requests to tender through forming a partnership and alliance between local and international companies.
On the occasion, Ashghal president Dr Saad bin Ahmed al-Muhannadi said: “We trust local contractors and their ability to form an alliance to implement this project with the required quality and time, as this is the first of its kind in Qatar, which will cause a qualitative shift in traffic.” Engineer Yousef al-Emadi, Projects Affairs director, confirmed that the contractors were invited to enter and compete for the Sharq Crossing project and to define the required schedule for the project. Local companies are to form an alliance with international companies and provide a list of those alliances in mid-January to start offering the project to tender in February, and start implementation in the third quarter of 2020.
Incidentally, the announcement of the relaunch of the Sharq Crossing, which first made news back in 2013 as Doha Bay Crossing, came in the 2020 budget, presented earlier this month. The project is part of Qatar’s prioritised infrastructure development encompassing new projects worth QR11.5bn to be awarded in 2020. It may be recalled that the Sharq Crossing master plan had been developed by Santiago Calatrava in 2013 at the request of the then Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning, featuring a unique combination of an efficient civil engineering solution and a highly iconic design. In addition to being a visual spectacle and magnificent addition to the Doha skyline, the project has the potential to redraw the traffic map of Qatar’s capital and its suburbs.
