Your say: Al Ittihad Road expansion

A long-awaited project to ease traffic congestion between Sharjah and Dubai has been announced.

The Dh700 million project will expand a 7.5km stretch of Al Ittihad Road - used by more than 8,000 cars per hour at peak times - into an eight lane expressway.

Will it make your life easier or have no effect? What will traffic be like during the expansion? Will it be worth it in the long run? Send your emails to feedback@gulfnews.com

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Requirements of people living in this country are neglected. Where are the 'culverts' for us to cross the road? Highway standards are used even when the roads are crossing residential areas. It is high time the Al Ittihad road is expanded, but we need more "by-pass" surgeries to solve the problems of clogged roadways! If the Dubai Govt. were to build a Sharjah sized town ship for cheaper houses near to Al Goze or Jebel Ali, requiring far less than 700 million, and promote income for Nationals also, almost all problems of Dubai roads would be solved!
Rcpayyoor
Dubai

Incentives, not roads
The Al Ittihad Road expansion is a nice idea, but it will take long time to complete, and by the time when it will be completed, the number of cars on the Dubai/Sharjah road will be multiplied many times.

The best way to control the number of cars on the road is to encourage the companies to arrange buses or cabs for their employees, because everybody present in the company drives his\her personal car.
Kiran,
Dubai

Long term solutions
It is a great news, but other aspects also have to be looked into for long term solution.

In two years there will be more cars on the road and the existing infrastructure will remain inadequate to meet the needs of number of cars on the roads.

The rail project should not be limited to Dubai but extended across the UAE into a single network. This will not only give opportunities for people to use public transport, but also as a means of promoting tourism.

The rail can also be used for rapid mass transport of food and commodities to different emirates in a faster way, reducing the movement of heavy vehicles between emirates. This in turn will reduce the dependence on diesel.
Akhilesh,
Sharjah

No problem if you reduce rents
Reducing the rents in Dubai, in line with or lower to that of Sharjah, will cause more people to live in Dubai as opposed to Sharjah or any other emirate. This will surely generate more income for the emirate, as more people will be spending their Dubai earned money in Dubai itself...rather that another emirate. therefore no need to spend millions on road improvements that provide temporary relief to the current situation.
Lester,
Dubai

Great news all round
I am very happy to to read the news yesterday regarding the Al Ittihad Road expansion. I have been staying in Sharjah for the past three years and noticed that the traffic from Sharjah to Dubai Has increased tremendously during all hours.

Three years back if you started at 7am from Sharjah you would reach Dubai in 45 minutes. Now even if you start at 6.30am you will not be able to reach Dubai by 8am. The diversion to Al Mamzar area also will make the difference.

We are eagerly waiting for this project to start and waiting for an earlier completion. We appreciate the initiative taken by the RTA and I would like to congratulate the RTA authorities for such a great Idea.
Prashanth Nair,
Sharjah

Special police lane?
The proposed expansion of Dubai - Sharjah will be a big relief to everyone, particularly Dubai and Sharjah people. I always had a second thought before visiting Sharjah due to traffic jams. I hope the new plan will ease this traffic and let people to move around freely. You may consider accommodating one priority track among the proposed expansion. Police, Ambulance, Fire and other priority vehicles can use it. The public may also be allowed to use it on payment basis.
Jahangir Khan,
Dubai

Great news, but...
The expansion project is great news to all commuters. However, that will take a long time to get done. There are actually other alternatives that would help ease the current traffic chaos before al Mulla Plaza and Al Qiyada Underpass.

Open the Al Mamzar Interchange to traffic coming from Sharjah. If the road going to Al Mamzar Park is not possible to open, at least the clover leaf going to Al Ghusais must be opened. Have the Al Nahda Bridge (from Al Taawun Mall) linked to Al Ghusais road. Have the newly build bridge near Al Sahara Mall linked to Al Ghusais road.

I believe these three alternatives are faster to do as a temporary relief to current situation.
Reg P. Cucal,
Sharjah

Car pooling the answer
It's nice to know that the expansion of Al Ittihad Road will start in the next two months, but for the time being the authorities should mark at least two lanes for vehicles which carry at least two persons.
 
I am sure that if this is implemented, the number of cars on the road will reduce in a month or so. At present I know people working in the same office who all come to work in their personal cars.
 
This will reduce traffic as well as saving a natural resouce i.e. ? oil.
Raza,
Dubai

Ease the jams
I appreciate the expansion plans. Surely it will work to ease traffic jams, especially if a connecting road is provided from the new Al Garhoud bridge.
Fazludheen,
Dubai

Open Al Mamzar?
Thanks to Shaikh Mohammad for finally looking into the issue of traffic jams on Al Ittihad Road. Also, how about opening the Al Mamzar Interchange connection to Dubai or towards Emirates Road to take the pressure off Al Ittihad Road?
Hoded,
Dubai

Road must be monitored
The Dh700-million project will definitely solve 40 to 45 per cent of the traffic problems on the Dubai/Sharjah roads. I suggest that the road should be monitored by Dubai and Sharjah police to support an easy, smoother flow of traffic. This project will definitely eliminate the rent hikes in Dubai. It will help the economic development of Dubai.
Stephen Crasta,
Sharjah

High rents also to blame
Everyday when we reach the office travelling from Sharjah to Dubai we have to take a long breath that we have reached the place. On the road everyday we observe many accidents, many road rule violations. Also, if the rents are reduced in Dubai, the traffic also would reduce significantly between Sharjah and Dubai.
Kumar,
Sharjah