The opening of the Civil Defence intersection by the Public Works Authority, Ashghal, on Wednesday as scheduled has come as a huge relief to motorists who traverse the busy area in Doha.
What used to be a prominent roundabout adjacent to the former headquarters of the General Directorate of Civil Defence is now a signal-controlled intersection.
The reconstruction included widening all streets leading to the Civil Defence intersection to become four lanes instead of three, as well as relocating utilities including power, sewerage and drainage lines.
In order to accommodate the increased flow of traffic from the Civil Defence intersection, the Hamad Medical City intersection has been upgraded through widening the left-bound route to three lanes.
A third lane has also been added to the left-bound route for motorists coming from the Sports Roundabout towards the Television Roundabout.
The reconfigurations come as part of the Development of Intersections and Roundabouts Project in several areas in Greater Doha aimed at enhancing the traffic flow and reducing the congestion in major areas.
Ever since traffic volumes increased in Doha, the former Civil Defence Roundabout used to be congested during the peak hours, causing considerable delays to motorists.
Once the situation became unmanageable, the authorities concerned installed signals at the roundabout, providing some relief.
“Ashghal has done a commendable job of converting the Civil Defence Roundabout to a signal-controlled intersection, especially before the schools reopen next Sunday,” a long-time Doha resident said.
The vision of Ashghal is to convert all major roundabouts in Doha to intersections in due course. The TV Roundabout, Sports Roundabout and a roundabout near Mesaimeer are among the last few major roundabouts pending conversion to signal-controlled intersections.