Dubai-Sharjah traffic: Could this project be the solution?
Other key projects for 2020 include increasing the capacity of Mohammed Bin Zayed Road
Dubai: One of the key roads linking Sharjah and Dubai is all set for major construction.
In a press conference held on Monday, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development said that a new project will be launched in 2020 to cut traffic congestion between Sharjah and Dubai.
Construction work on Al Ittihad Road will start by next year and will be completed in two years and a half. The project will be carried out in two phases: First at the Al Nahda intersection and secondly at the Al Khulafa Al Rashideen Bridge. The capacity of each intersection will be increased to hold 3,000 vehicles per hour, and will be installed with a service road on both sides.
The total number of vehicles using this road exceeds 250,000 vehicles per day, according to previous Gulf News reports.
This is not the first time that authorities had their eyes on improving traffic on Al Ittihad Road.
In 2010, the RTA in Dubai completed the Al Ittihad Road Improvement and Widening Project, which included the widening of Al Ittihad Road from Sharjah to the border of Dubai, up until the Airport Road.
“The capacity of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road will also be increased by 40 per cent through the construction of bridges at two intersections,” said Dr Abdullah Bin Mohammad Bel Haif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development, who was quoted by Arabic media.
The upcoming road works will cause some disruption and road diversions in the area but once completed, is expected to significantly reduce traffic between the two emirates.
Road projects to be carried out from 2017-2021 include:
- Increasing road capacity of Al Ittihad Road between Sharjah and Dubai.
- Development of Emirates Road at a cost of Dh200 million.
- Development and expansion of Al Dhaid Road at a cost of Dh220 million.