Abu Dhabi: Two new roads are to be built at a cost of more than Dh7.4 billion.
The construction of a new Mafraq-Ghweifat main road as well as the new Abu Dhabi-Dubai main road will begin soon, the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport said on Sunday.
The Abu Dhabi Executive Council has authorised the department to appoint contractors to carry out both projects.
The department said preparations are underway to begin contruction of the new Abu Dhabi-Dubai (E311) 62-kilometre road, which will cost Dh2.1 billion. The project, parallel to the existing Abu Dhabi-Dubai (E11) main road, extends from Mohammad Bin Zayed Road in Saih Shuaib through Al Maha Forest and Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) and will join up at the Sweihan Road (E20). It is expected to be finished by 2017.
This project aims to ease traffic congestion on the E11, as studies show that traffic will go up from 700 vehicles per hour at peak time to more than 12,000 vehicles in 2030 as a result of population growth, and provide a new strategic link between the country’s two most populated emirates, as well as create new entrances to the city of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi International Airport, Yas and Saadiyat Islands.
The new Abu Dhabi-Dubai main road will connect the Khalifa Port area and Kizad to existing and future main roads to reach the industrial area in Musaffah and serve new residential areas.
The new main road will feature four lanes in each direction; two hard shoulders and the wide central reservation are designed for a staged upgrade and future expansion if needed. Six upper interchanges will be built. The lay-bys will be for emergency use and also serve as a patrol point for police, ambulance and emergency vehicles. In addition, the main road will have five U-turn facilities for emergency vehicles only.
The new main road will come with a rainwater drainage system and will be lit at night, which follows the best sustainable standards of reducing energy consumption.
The 327km Mafraq-Ghweifat main road, also expected to be finished by 2017, extends from Mafraq to the international border linking the UAE with Saudi Arabia in Ghweifat. It also passes through the industrial centre in Ruwais in addition to tourist and commercial locations in Abu Dhabi.
The new road will be built above sea level to avoid water erosion while helping drain rainwater and boost the road capacity to withstand the expected increase in vehicles.
The road will also include side parking areas in each direction for light vehicles and trucks as well as areas for ambulance, police vehicles and petrol stations. There will be a hard shoulder in both directions for emergencies and sustainable, energy-saving road lighting systems.
