[2020 Asia Construction Awards] Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Successful Completion of Lusail Expressway Project in Qatar

Overseas Construction Association President's Award - Overseas Division

Hyundai Engineering & Construction, which received the Overseas Construction Association President’s Award at this year’s Asia Construction Comprehensive Awards, is the very history of Korean overseas construction. Since entering the overseas construction market in 1965 as the first in the domestic construction industry, it has carried out about 800 projects in more than 60 countries worldwide, including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the Americas, and Africa.

Among the Middle East countries, Hyundai Engineering & Construction’s representative project with a deep connection to Qatar is the Lusail Expressway construction project. The Lusail Expressway in Qatar is an expansion project of approximately 5.8 km from the center of Doha city adjacent to the airport to the Pearl area, a commercial and residential district near northern Lusail. The project started in 2012 and was completed at the end of last year, with ongoing defect repairs and other work. Although the length is not long, it is a large-scale project featuring up to 16 lanes in both directions, including not only the road but also 10 tunnels, 4 bridges, micro tunnels, water supply and sewage systems, communication lines, substations, and various other facilities.

At the southern starting point of the Lusail Expressway, Wahda IC, a special structure was also installed. It is a large arch structure 100 meters high, becoming a landmark that catches the eye first when heading from Doha Airport to Lusail’s World Cup main stadium. The Pearl area and the Lusail Expressway construction zone are densely populated with embassies from various countries and home to many royals and wealthy individuals. The project attracted significant attention from key Qatari figures, including the client, and after the road’s completion, the new city of Lusail has risen as a new transportation hub near Doha, Qatar.

The biggest challenge in the Lusail Expressway project was to carry out construction without disrupting the existing traffic flow in an environment where most of Qatar’s population and infrastructure are concentrated in Doha. Since it was an expansion and improvement of an existing road, a temporary detour road had to be built to accommodate the existing traffic volume. Additional tasks such as changing the signal system, installing safety facilities, and obtaining road operation permits arose, and prior to construction, it was necessary to relocate underground facilities such as water supply, sewage, and electricity buried in various locations. The greatest obstacle was the process of consulting with 25 local agencies and obtaining approval for over 200 permits related to facility relocation. Due to this process, the initially expected construction period of 40 months extended to 67 months.

The diplomatic rift between Qatar and neighboring countries in June 2017 also posed a major challenge. Materials that were previously imported through Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had to be brought in through third countries such as Oman or Kuwait, or sourced from material manufacturers within Qatar, finding new solutions. Despite these various difficulties and the intense attention from the local Qatari community, Hyundai Engineering & Construction successfully completed the project.

The intelligent transportation system (ITS) applied by Hyundai Engineering & Construction on the Second Yeongdong Expressway was also introduced. Advanced technologies such as allowing vehicles behind to be aware of accidents ahead and automatically adjusting tunnel brightness according to the environment were applied to the Lusail Expressway as well.

A Hyundai Engineering & Construction official said, “The temporary detour roads newly constructed for traffic flow were so neatly done that locals mistook them for regular roads, earning high praise in Qatar. The technological prowess demonstrated by Hyundai Engineering & Construction in Qatar, where major global construction companies compete fiercely, will be a great asset to continue its reputation in the global market.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.