A Habtoor Leighton Group (HLG) and Al Jaber Engineering joint venture has been awarded a QAR6.15bn ($1.7bn) contract by Qatar’s Public Works Authority, Ashghal.

The contract covers the design and construction of the New Orbital Highway and Truck Route (P023), near Doha.

Package three of the urban infrastructure project links the Mesaieed industrial area and New Port Projects to Salwa Road.

"We are pleased to have been selected by Ashghal to work in partnership with them."

The project includes a total of about 56km of road works and five main interchanges that will cater to the projected traffic increase in the region.

Design and construction work under the contract will take about 36 months to complete.

According to HLG CEO and managing director José Antonio López-Monís, the new project has strengthened the group’s presence in Qatar, where it has worked on a number of successful contracts from government clients such as Kahramaa since 2009.

"Qatar is a very important market for HLG. We have had a local office in Doha since 2005, and during this time we have been involved in a number of projects perfectly aligned with our expertise and experience.

"The Orbital Highway is a major opportunity for HLG and our joint venture partner Al Jaber Engineering, and we are pleased to have been selected by Ashghal to work in partnership with them to deliver such an important element of national infrastructure for Qatar."

Habtoor Leighton Group is based in the Middle East, and is a 45%-owned associate of Leighton Holdings.