* New parking lots have total capacity of more than 51,000 cars and 5,600 buses
The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has completed construction works of 50 new parking lots with a total capacity of more than 51,000 cars and 5,600 buses on a total area while covering approximately 3mn sqm.The new parking lots, currently being used for the ongoing FIFA Arab Cup 2021 will also come in handy for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.Ashghal explained in a statement that the project is in co-ordination with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and other service entities.
“The new parking locations, which include dedicated parking lots for cars, buses and taxis, were implemented within just three months. They were provided in addition to the existing ones, to facilitate fans’ access to the stadiums, avoid congestion and improve traffic movement in the areas surrounding the stadiums during matches,” the statement noted.Ashghal handed over the new parking lots to the SC to manage their operation during the sports events in co-ordination with the authorities concerned at the Ministry of Interior.Yousef al-Emadi, Projects Affairs director at Ashghal, said that the authority has placed projects and works that serve sports facilities among its top priorities. “The sites for the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 constitute 70% of the preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Work is underway on the remaining sites according to the scheduled timetables,” he added.Abdulaziz Ali al-Mawlawi, Host Country Mobility Operations director at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said the SC is co-ordinating on regular basis with Ashghal and all other entities concerned to ensure the successful organisation of the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 and upcoming sport events."Ashghal has implemented multi-purpose arenas and delivered them to SC to meet all it's requirements, from storage spaces to equipment, and required parking spaces,” he noted.Saoud al-Tamimi, Roads Projects Department manager at Ashghal, said that completion of the large number of parking lots within a short span of time is a significant achievement and proves the integration of efforts of all sectors, with the aim of making the upcoming sporting events very successful, further highlighting Qatar as a major international destination for sport.“The parking lots are suitable for all types of vehicles and meet the current needs. Ashghal is currently implementing additional parking lots to serve the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” he said.Abdullah Ahin, Designs Department manager at Ashghal, said a team was formed within the department to complete the designs for these sites as soon as possible to meet the priorities of the SC and also to enable those involved in implementation from all Ashghal departments to complete the work according to the established timetables.“Approvals of the service entities within the design work were also obtained in record time, as the roads network surrounding each parking lot was studied, and all safety standards met for the entrances and exits of the parking lots, according to periodic co-ordination with representatives of the SC, to ensure that all their needs and requirements are met,” he explained.
The 50 new parking facilities are divided into 26 parking lots that directly serve the stadiums directly and 17 parking lots in different places far from the stadiums that serve the public by providing a 'Park and Ride' service by using the Metro as well as the bus network of the Karwa transportation company. Four parking lots will serve the training grounds, in addition to the construction of three multi-use spaces.Seven parking lots were implemented to serve Al Bayt Stadium with a capacity of 19,000 cars and 1,930 buses. As for Al Janoub Stadium, three parking lots were built to serve it with a capacity of 1,800 cars and 750 buses. Five parking lots for 4,000 cars and 370 buses were built to serve the Education City Stadium, in addition to four parking lots for Al Thumama Stadium serving about 11,400 cars and 400 buses, and three to serve Stadium 974 with a total capacity of 2,900 cars and 350 buses.The parking lots built outside the stadium boundaries and in various places can accommodate about 11,900 cars and 1,800 buses. Thus, the total of all parking lots (50 sites) provides more than 51,000 parking spaces for cars and 5,600 for buses, and these are additional parking spaces other than the existing ones built earlier around stadiums.While implementing the parking projects for stadiums as well as the country’s mobility plan at large, Ashghal was keen to apply highest standards of sustainability, as bus stops were implemented using asphalt layers, and for parking lots designated for cars and taxis, shredded asphalt recycled from previous construction works was used, contributing to achieving the principles of sustainability, value engineering and reduced construction costs.Within its strategy to qualify local contractors and manufacturers, Ashghal has sought support of Qatari contractors to carry out all parking works, and local components used amounted to more than 80% of the total materials used for the parking lots.