Dubai: Thousands of trees and shrubs will beautify the sides of Dubai’s high-profile Shaikh Zayed Road from the fifth interchange to the Abu Dhabi border, an official said.
The major highway, which runs through the city, is already lined with greenery for a good part of its stretch.
The new landscaping project, which will include beautifying interchanges, will extend the greenery all the way to the road’s end at the Abu Dhabi border, said Taleb Julfar, Director, Drainage and Irrigation Department, Dubai Municipality.
The project, taking shape in phases, is expected to be complete by the end of this year.
The landscaping is not just for aesthetics — the wall of trees and bushes block sand from encroaching on the roads, which can be a safety risk for motorists, Julfar said.
He added the greenery will also help reduce the impact of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, a pollutant from cars and industries that is widely blamed for contributing to global warming.
Work is ongoing between Interchanges 5.5 and 7, with soil and flowers slated to cover an area of 20 hectares.
This part of the project will cost Dh13 million and see the building of water tanks, pumps and main lines, which will run 6.5km and branch out in 21km of lateral lines.
The stretch is expected to be ready by the end of August.
The other part of the project, from Interchange 8 to the Abu Dhabi border, should be ready by early September. It will be implemented in three phases taking shape simultaneously.
The work involves planting two tree lines and bushes — comprised of 5,000 trees and 17,000 shrubs — on either side of Shaikh Zayed Road for a length of up to 12km.
There will also be 22km of main water lines and 28km of lateral lines.
The total cost of the project is valued at Dh14 million.
