Skip to main content

Qatar’s new highway requires huge logistics operation

In the Middle East nation Qatar, a large-scale highway project is underway that will make significant improvements for vehicle capacity and cut journey times for drivers. The new route will also improve transport connections between Qatar’s ports and neighbouring Saudi Arabia. At the same time, the new highway will carry much of the heavy vehicle traffic travelling between the two countries.
October 26, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
Asphalt producer Al Jaber & Makhlouf had to upgrade its production facilities to meet the demands of the project
In the Middle East nation Qatar, a large-scale highway project is underway that will make significant improvements for vehicle capacity and cut journey times for drivers

The new route will also improve transport connections between Qatar’s ports and neighbouring Saudi Arabia. At the same time, the new highway will  carry much of the heavy vehicle traffic travelling between the two countries.

The new orbital highway will connect the main city of Doha with the ports of Qatar and the border with Saudi Arabia. The highway project measures around 40km long and features seven traffic lanes, with the structure having been designed to cope with heavy vehicle loads as well as high traffic volumes. The construction project has been divided into four phases, with the current phase requiring the production of about 3 million tonnes of asphalt.

“It is the biggest project in terms of quantity of asphalt in Qatar at the moment,” said Youssef Ghadban, plant manager for Al Jaber & Makhlouf, which is manufacturing the asphalt. The company is a regional leader in asphalt output and has a significant presence in Qatar, where it operates five plants. The company also has a significant presence in Lebanon, where it operates four asphalt plants.

Productivity was identified early on as being crucial for this large-scale road construction project to meet its tight schedule. The 3 million tonnes of asphalt will have to be manufactured within two years.

“It was a challenge for us because we were producing around 500,000-600,000tonnes yearly,” said Roger Makhlouf, managing director of Al Jaber & Makhlouf. “Now it will be up to 1.5 million tonnes yearly, so it’s a big move and it was a big challenge for the company – and for 6791 Ammann, to, because we had to customise the plants for this project.”

The production demands made plant reliability crucial. The ability to make varied mixes was another requirement. Given the high temperatures experienced in Qatar at times, the mixes have also been specially formulated to cope with the climate and to eliminate the risk of any issues associated with deformation.

Al Jaber & Makhlouf employed two Ammann ABA 340 Unibatch Asphalt-Mixing Plants on the ring road project. The company made extensive use of support from Ammann as well as the sophisticated as1 Control System to allow it to keep pace with the needs of the demanding highway project.

Once the highway is complete, it will help reduce congestion on surrounding minor roads and will also improve safety for road users. The highway will cut journey times from Doha to its ports and also to the border with Saudi Arabia, helping to lower transport costs.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Ammann asphalt plant for UAE road construction
    October 5, 2018
    An asphalt plant supplied by Ammann is now playing an important role in the UAE’s road construction sector The plant is producing material for major new road projects in the UAE. “We need to produce quality asphalt, and high volumes of it,” said Adnan Elmasri, operations manager for Top Link Contracting & General Transportation, based in Dubai. Top Link, a major contractor in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, is providing mix for a new highway that will help to reduce the current traffic congestion issues occurring
  • Crushing and screening help building Qatar’s new routes
    June 7, 2016
    Al-Mohsen Engineering in Qatar is one of the country’s leading specialists for the supply of aggregates to major construction companies. The firm is currently producing materials for many of Qatar’s infrastructure projects. Al-Mohsen is now a major player in the construction segment thanks to its ability to supply large volumes of high-quality aggregates to the market. The firm has invested in a range of Powerscreen rock crushing and screening equipment to meet the aggressive aggregates demands of huge loca
  • Asphalt plant for Turkish highway project
    June 27, 2018
    An asphalt plant from Ammann is playing a key role in the construction of a new Turkish highway. An important factor in the selection of the plant for the construction of Turkey’s Northern Marmara Motorway was its ability to utilise fibres. A large portion of the motorway, which serves as a bypass of Istanbul, has been completed. Handling a good deal of the remaining work is Nalbantolu naat, a family-owned business founded in 1995. The company has completed a number of high-profile projects, including
  • Doha’s massive ring road expressway project
    July 10, 2019
    The huge Doha ring road project will help decongest the city and improve transport for Qatar