Project will cut jams by over half

Dubai: Al Ittihad Road will be turned into a motorway from Al Garhoud Bridge to the Sharjah-Dubai border to cope with current and future traffic needs, said a senior official.

Mattar Al Tayer, Executive Director of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said Al Ittihad Road would be an eight lane expressway.

He said the new project would reduce traffic congestion by 58 per cent.

"Our comprehensive plan to expand and improve the Al Ittihad Road is part of an integrated project approved by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to develop traffic and transport infrastructure in Dubai," said Al Tayer.

Additional lanes

The project includes the development of an eight- lane expressway and the building of additional lanes on each side of the road. There will be total of 13 to 17 lanes on both side of the road at different locations.

Maitha Bin Adai, Director of the Roads Department, Hashim Al Hashemi, Director of the Traffic Department, and Nabeel Mohammad, Head of the Road Planning Section, gave details about the project.

Construction on the project will start from the Dubai-Sharjah border with the building of a new bridge linking Al Mamzar with Al Nahda.

A new bridge linking Al Wuheida Road to Al Nahda Road and another bridge linking the Al Nahda Road with the Itihad Road will also be built at the same roundabout to ensure the smooth flow of traffic from all directions.

The project includes a massive improvement plan for Al Qiyada Roundabout a major bottleneck while travelling from Dubai to Sharjah. The existing tunnel at Al Qiyada Interchange will be upgraded from its existing two-lanes on each side to four-lanes in each direction.

The project also involves the upgrading of the Airport Road Interchange. The existing two-lane tunnel on each side will be upgraded to a four-lane tunnel on each side.

A ramp bridge will also be built at the intersection providing a link to motorists from Ittihad Road towards Dubai Airport Road to provide easy access to Dubai International Airport and Al Garhoud.

A new bridge will also be constructed at Al Shoula Interchange for motorists travelling on service roads after the Al Qiyada Interchange to approach the Al Ittihad Road before the Airport Interchange.

Statistics from the RTA shows that the number of vehicles registered in Dubai has increased to 635,000 and around one million vehicles use Dubai roads daily with an average of almost 500,000 on the road during working hours.

Investment opportunity

Project will boost economy and level out rents

The Al Ittihad Road improvement project will boost economic activity in the city as more people will be attracted to invest in projects on both sides of the road, said Mattar Al Tayer, Executive Director of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

He said traffic congestion on the Al Ittihad Road was putting off investors. "Once the project is complete, a lot of new developments are expected on this important road," he said.

Meanwhile, real estate consultants predicted a rationalisation of rents in Dubai as commuting between Sharjah and Dubai will become easier with the completion of the important road project.

"More people are expected to move to Sharjah as massive traffic congestion is holding back many in Dubai," said a real estate agent.