Qatar plans bridge to replace Doha Bay tunnel

17 June 2010

Feasibility study recommended the project go ahead as a subsea tunnel

Qatar is considering plans to build a bridge across Doha Bay instead of its planned $1bn subsea tunnel.

The Doha Bay Crossing was planned as a subsea tunnel that would run under Doha Bay

The Doha Bay Crossing was initially planned as a subsea tunnel that would run under the bay of Doha and link the New Doha International Airport with Lusail.

Denmark’s Cowi has completed the feasibility study for the project, which recommended that it go ahead as a 12-kilometre tunnel (MEED 3:2:10).

However, authorities are now looking at other options, one of which is a bridge or causeway, says Osama Freija, senior traffic engineer at the Municipality and Urban Planning Ministry, at MEED’s Qatar Transport 2010 Conference.

The crossing would also include two small spurs that would run from the bridge itself to West Bay in Doha city and to the New Doha port.

The final budget for the tunnel project has not yet been decided, but the scheme is not included in an existing $20bn road building programme created by Doha.

Qatar is investing heavily in its transport infrastructure to address the issue of congestion in and around the capital.

One of Qatar’s major transport projects is the $3bn Qatar-Bahrain Causeway, which is currently on hold for unknown reasons.

Construction work was due to begin in the third quarter of this year. However, construction is not likely to begin until early 2011.

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