Major interchange opens in Ajman after two years

Ajman: The Al Hamidiya Interchange in Ajman was opened to the public on a trial basis in the early hours of February 6.

The new interchange, which has seven different loops and tunnels — according to an official at Ajman Municipality — has been completed in two years with a total cost of Dh223 million and a total length of 16.5 kilometres.

Yahya Al Rayasah, director general of Ajman Municipality told Gulf News that the new interchange would ease the follow of traffic flow as it is in a very vital area and connects many areas in Ajman.

The interchange, he said, has five different directions. One direction is the entrance of Ajman for people coming from Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain, and another direction will serve as an entrance for traffic coming from Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road.

He added that the interchange also links to the city’s central and shopping district as well as creates a link to the corniche. It also has six flyovers to ease the traffic flow.

The interchange also has a main tunnel that links Ajman’s Shaikh Maktoum Road to Ajman’s Shaikh Zayed Road, and a surface tunnel that links Shaikh Maktoum’s road to Shaikh Khalifa Road.

Al Rayasa said that there are also five pedestrian tunnels in the interchange.

Ahmad Juma Al Za’abi, Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs and head of The Follow up Committee of Initiatives of UAE President, said in a statement on Tuesday that the project comes as an implementation of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s directives to raise the economic and social level of citizens ensuring a decent life for them.

He said this project is deemed to be a strategic choice because Al Hamidiya site joins a number of inland areas in the emirate of Ajman giving traffic solution for its users.

Al Rayasa also said that the next project will be the bridge near Ajman City Centre, which will be funded by Ajman’s government.

Gihan Khairy, an Egyptian teacher who works in a government school in Ajman, said that the new interchange will make her daily commute from Sharjah much easier. “The roadwork and diversion had been causing a lot of traffic jams and delays and I hope the new interchange will solve that.”

The Traffic committee of Ajman, led by Colonel Shaikh Sultan Bin Abdullah Al Nuaimi, deputy director of Ajman Police and head of the Traffic Committee in Ajman, had recently visited the interchange. The committee ordered that signs with the speed limit of 60km/hr, will be affixed to lampposts.

The committee also approved monitoring cameras that were devised by Ajman Traffic Police.

— With inputs by WAM