Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has awarded a $340m contract to build a 40-kilometre long road at the Doha Industrial Area to a consortium led by Athens-based Terna.

The contract calls for the rehabilitation and recostruction of the road in addition to the installation of a new sewage network, new substations as well as telecoms network facilities.

The construction work is set for completion in 2018. The consortium will also maintain the new road for 400 days following completion of construction.

The other consortium members are local firm Consolidated Gulf Contractors and UAE-based Wade Adams.

Like most of its GCC peers, Qatar has been implementing major road construction and rehabilitation projects to address traffic congestion issues in key cities as well as facilitate transport of goods by land within their countries and across the region.

Another major factor contributing to the number of roads being built across the region is the integrated design for public mass transport systems that includes rail, metros, public buses and in some cases water transport system.