The Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ announced the commencement of construction of a stormwater drainage tunnel within the Critical Asset Resilience Programme (CARP), with the aim of protecting vital assets as part of the Flood Prevention Scheme – Phase 3 (Doha South).

Eng. Khalid Saif Al-Khayareen, Manager of the Drainage Networks Projects Department at Ashghal, explained that the project comes within the Authority’s efforts to protect people and assets from the negative impacts of rainwater accumulation in several vital areas in Doha South, the most important of which is the intersection of Mohammed bin Thani Street and Ahmed bin Ali Street, Hamad Hospital tunnel and the surrounding areas, in addition to a number of government facilities and institutions in the area, including the Ministry of Interior, the Shura Council, the Fire Station Museum, and others.

Eng. Khalid Al-Khayareen confirmed that, in line with the sustainable development objectives and the Qatar National Strategy for Environment and Climate Change, the project will provide a long-term solution to reduce rainwater accumulation in the aforementioned areas instead of relying on the use of temporary pumps during the rainy season. He added that these works would increase road safety and enhance the protection of public and private assets therein.

The project work includes constructing a stormwater drainage tunnel with a length of approximately 1.7 km and a diametre of 1,400 mm. Excavation work will be carried out at depths ranging between 7 and 10 metres below the ground level using a tunnel boring machine, with the aim of reducing the impact of the works on traffic and on the area residents and institutions.

It is noteworthy that the works will be carried out in vital areas that witness high traffic density, as the intersection of Mohammed bin Thani Street and Ahmed bin Ali Street witnesses an average of 9,500 to 11,400 vehicles per hour.

It is expected that the construction of the stormwater drainage tunnel will be completed in Q4 of 2024.

8 Million Man-Hours without Lost-Time Injuries

Within the Public Works Authority’s keenness to implement the highest standards of occupational safety and health that ensure the prevention of accidents and injuries in work areas, the Authority has succeeded in achieving 8 million man-hours without lost-time injuries so far during the implementation of the Flood Prevention Scheme – Phase 3 (Doha South). The contractor implementing the project, Hamad Bin Khaled Construction Company, and the supervision consultant company, Parsons International, were honored in appreciation of their efforts in raising safety procedures at the work site to ensure the safety of workers.