Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) is planning to tender seven project management consultancy (PMC) contracts this year to oversee the $20bn roads projects and related infrastructure in the country.

The PMC contracts will be for pedestrian pavements; 29 primary routes including major highways and expressways; network management; operations and maintenance; safety; local roads and drainage; zones and Intelligent Transport System (ITS) which will help reduce congestion and involves measures such as traffic signal controlling systems and speed cameras.

The PMC contracts will all be for a five-year period.

Ashghal is currently working on the documents to invite consultants to bid for the pavement PMC contract with all contracts to be awarded by April 2011.

The authorities at Ashghal have divided Qatar into five zones and consultants will be appointed to manage each zone.

While Ashghal will still be the client for all of the roads and highways projects, the consultants will be responsible for their area across the whole of Qatar, not just in Doha.

The design for a major truck route that will run from Ras Laffan in the north down the east coast to Mesaieed in the south of Qatar is also still under design.

The route will connect all of the major highways together, which will reduce congestion and provide faster routes across the country.