Dh1b projects to ease Dubai-Sharjah traffic
dubai — Heavy traffic congestion between Dubai and Sharjah has long been a point of contention for many motorists here, but the days of long, stressful commutes between the two emirates will soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new roads improvement contract totalling almost Dh1 billion.
On Saturday, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved an award for the Tripoli Road project, which will see improvements being made across a 12km stretch of road to provide a link between the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and the Emirates Road.
The project includes the construction of four interchanges comprising a tunnel, and three bridges and is set to ease traffic flow on these two corridors by 30 per cent — which many say is music to their ears.
Work will commence shortly on the new project and upon completion it will have an intake of about 12,000 vehicles per hour in both directions (6,000 vehicles per hour per direction).
At a cost of Dh500 million, it will provide a parallel and supporting corridor to the Airport Road Improvement Project, which the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is currently implementing at a cost of Dh490 million.
dubai — His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has approved contracts for the improvement of Tripoli Road and Airport Road, costing around Dh1 billion.
The contract for the improvement of Tripoli Road in a 12 km stretch to provide a link between the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and the Emirates Road cost Dh500 million. And a parallel and supporting corridor to the Airport Road Improvement Project, which the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is currently implementing costs Dh490 million, whose completion rate has touched 30 per cent. The project would contribute to increasing the capacity of the Airport Road by an additional 5,000 vehicles per hour, said Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
“The Tripoli Road improvement project aims to enhance the link between Dubai and Sharjah besides easing traffic congestions, streamlining traffic movement and stepping up safety along this corridor. Upon completion, the project will act as a parallel to Al Amardi–Al Khawaneej as well as Al Awir-Ras Al Khor corridors. The new project has an intake of about 12,000 vehicles per hour in both directions (6,000 vehicles per hour per direction) and is set to ease the traffic flow on these two corridors by 30 per cent, said Al Tayer.
“The project, which links the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road, includes the widening of Tripoli Road over a 6.5 km stretch from the intersection with the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (near Mirdif City Centre) up to the Academic City Road. It also includes the construction of a new 5.3km road of three lanes in each direction from the intersection of Academic City up to the Emirates Road. Thus, the overall length of the corridor is almost 12 km,” he explained.
“The project also covers the development of interchanges across the corridor starting with the upgrading of Tripoli-Algiers Roads junction to a tunnel of three lanes in each direction to serve the traffic flow inbound from Rabat Road heading to Tripoli Road. Works also include upgrading the current at-grade signalized intersection,” he said.
With the completion of these works, the waiting time at the existing intersection is expected to drop from three minutes to less than one minute.
“The Airport Road development project comprises construction of bridges, a tunnel at the intersection of Marrakech, and bridges at the intersection of Rashidiya as well as the intersections of the Airport Road with Casablanca Road and Nad Al Hamar Road.
“It also includes improving atgrade intersections and constructing a service road of three lanes in each direction to separate the traffic movement from and to Nad Al Hamar Road from the vehicular flow on the Airport Road starting from Rashidiya Intersection up to Marrakech Intersection.”
The project would contribute to increasing the capacity of the Airport Road by an additional 5,000 vehicles per hour. It would also enhance the traffic safety level and reduce the journey time on the Airport Road from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to Casablanca Road from 30 minutes to 5 minutes.
“The improvement of Rashidiya Intersection comprises the construction of a bridge on the Airport Road of three lanes in each direction; which is expected to slash the waiting time at the interchange from 13 minutes to less than one minute,” added Mattar Al Tayer. — Wam