DOHA: Hamad Port would increase its handling capacity to 6mTEUS by 2020. The first phase of the mega project, which is involved installing more pre-cast blocks, is due to open at the end of 2016. This was revealed at the just-concluded MEED’s 4th annual Qatar Transport Forum.
At the Forum, experts said Qatar is moving ahead with more than $40bn worth of planned transport projects. These include expansion of Hamad Port, the Doha Metro and long-distance passenger and freight network, and the expressway programme.
One of the highlights of the Qatar Transport Forum was the public unveiling of plans for the estimated $8bn expansion of Hamad International Airport (HIA). NDIA Steering Committee Project Director Peter Daley, outlined the procurement timeline along with descriptions of the project scope, which includes an expansion of the main terminal building and concourse D and E.
Also revealed for the first time were plans for two additional container terminals at Hamad Port that would increase the QR27bn ($7.3bn) project’s handling capacity to 6 million TEUs.
Qatar Rail’s Chief of Service Delivery Andrew Tailor updated the Forum on Qatar’s $20bn-plus integrated transport plan. A world record 21 tunnel boring machines are being used on the Doha Metro project, which so far has completed almost 50 kilometres of tunnels. A total of 26,000 workers are working on the project, equating to more than 78 million man hours worked as of end of August.
Work on the Lusail tram scheme is even more advanced, with four of the five at grade stations completed, while the tender for the first phase design and build of the long-distance freight and rail network will be issued to contractors early next year.
On the roads side,Nasser al-Kuwari, Manager of Highway Projects department at Ashghal, presented an overview of the QR40bn ($10.8bn) expressway programme. The massive project, which involves 1,000km of new or upgraded roads, 240 major interchanges and 360 bridges, has already seen 43 major contracts awarded.
A total of 15 contracts are either in the market or are being prepared, while a further 23 are in the planning stage
