Qatar will go ahead with plans for a 12km subsea tunnel linking Doha’s new airport with the financial centre at a cost of more than US $1billion.

“The road is under [the] urban planning department for the concept design and then we will be taking that project for the detailed design and construction phase,” said Qatar’s Public Works Authority acting manager of the design department Jamal Al Kaabi at a recent conference in Doha, organised by Middle East Economic Digest.

Danish engineering consultant COWI has submitted a feasibility study and a preliminary concept design, which is now awaiting approval from the Qatari government’s urban planning department, Al Kaabi said.

He added that the tunnel, which will run under Doha Bay and is one of Qatar’s most ambitious road projects to date, would cost “a lot more” than $1 billion to implement.

However, the country has budgeted $20 billion for road projects over the next five years, according to the authority.