Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has awarded a joint venture of Turkey’s Yuksel Insaat and Spain’s Ferrovial Agroman a QR2.87bn ($789m) design-and-build contract for the north section of the Al-Bustan Road.

The project is expected to be completed within 41 months.

The scope of the project is understood to include:

• 1 bridge
• 8 underpasses
• 7 overpasses
• 4 intersections
• 5.4km long four-lane express roads in both directions
• side roads
• retaining walls
• pedestrian and bicycle paths
• traffic signalling system
• street lighting
• landscaping

It is the second major road contract awarded by Qatar to a Turkish firm in little more than two weeks.

On 23 August, Qatar awarded a $2.09bn contract to Turkey’s Tekfen Construction for the construction of a 34km highway as part of the Al-Khor Expressway project.

Qatar has been ramping up the construction of new roads and the refurbishment of existing ones to comply with international standards while integrating the latest in transport technologies.

Upgrading its roads is presumably part of Doha’s commitment to deliver world-class infrastructure for the 2022 Fifa World Cup and in line with the state’s economic diversification programme.