Minister tours rain-hit RAK areas, announces new drainage plan

ras al khaimah — The Ministry of Infrastructure Development announced a massive rainwater drainage network in the emirate on Monday.

Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development, while touring the showers-affected areas in RAK on Monday morning, said Al Fahleen and Al Heel areas will be given priority in the project.

“The planned network will be installed at the places where most of the rain ponds are accumulated to put an end to this problem after the reported damages in the houses, farms, and roads here.”

The ministry is also to study the vulnerable places where most of the landslides occurred to permanently end this issue, he added.

Dr Al Nuaimi added that they took into consideration the nature of the northern areas of the country while considering the infrastructure development projects.

“These areas are mostly affected by the seasonal rains, but our projects have helped reduce the impact of these regular showers and floods that used to destroy the people’s houses, farms, and roads.”

Dr Al Nuaimi said the ongoing development works of the road that connects Al Ittihad roundabout with the Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road is to be completed in the third quarter of this year.

“The 8km road consists of two lanes in each direction with a middle road island that can be expanded into a third lane both ways in the future,” he stated. “A bridge is also being built as part of this project to connect the Ittihad road with the Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road at the Tuwein area here.”

He added that the second phase of the Emirates road in RAK, which is part of the ring road here, is to be completed by the end of this year.

“The first phase of the project, extending over 24km, stood at Dh325 million,” he said. “The total cost of the ongoing second phase is Dh69 million, and is to be completed by this year end.”

“The two-way, which consists of three lanes in each direction and a middle island with possible expansion in the future, is being built as per the latest specifications of federal roads in the country.”

A new bridge is being built on the RAK International Airport road at the Suhaila area to ease traffic flow, he added. ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com