Dubai: A major new Dh2 billion project has significantly improved a key 17km stretch on the busy Dubai-Al Ain Road, doubling the highway’s capacity and adding six interchanges.
‘The Dubai-Al Ain Road Improvement Project’ was officially opened today by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, in the presence of senior officials of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
Sheikh Hamdan said the project, which covers the distance between the Emirates Road intersection and Ras Al Khor intersection, benefits 1.5 million living or working in the neighbourhood on both sides of the road.
He added that the project reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for creating the world’s best infrastructure in the emirate.
Six lanes, faster commute
Construction works included widening the road from three to six lanes in each direction, as well as service roads on both sides. The improvements will double the intake of the road from 12,000 to 24,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.
It will also slash the travel time on the Dubai-Al Ain Road from the intersection of Ras Al Khor Road to the intersection of the Emirates Road by 50 per cent – from 16 minutes to eight minutes during peak time.
Furthermore, it will solve traffic snarls that used to extend about 2km.
Four ramps
Outlining the project’s highlights, Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said the improvements included the construction of four two-lane ramps at the junction of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road extending 2,600 metres to ensure free and smooth traffic movement in all directions at the junction.
The previous bridge on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Rd had been improved to allow for the widening of the Dubai-Al Ain Road from three to six lanes in each direction in addition to the construction of service roads on both sides of the road.
The total capacity of bridges at the junction will jump to 36,000 vehicles per hour in all directions, which will ensure smooth traffic flow on the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Rd from Al Qusais in the direction of Al Ain.
Six junctions
Overall, the project covered the improvement of six key junctions with Emirates Road, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Nad Al Sheba Road, Al Meydan Road and Ras Al Khor Road.
The bridges at the six junctions stretch 6.6km in length and their ramps span 4.9km in total.
These junctions facilitate smooth traffic flow and serve the residential communities on both sides of the road such as the Academic City, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubailand Residential Complex, Liwan, and the Dubai Design District.
The improvements include:
• Construction of a ramp at the intersection of the Emirates Road and the Dubai-Al Ain Road and a 220m bridge to link Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street (north and south) with the Dubai-Al Ain Road, comprised of four lanes in each direction, which can be widened to five lanes in future.
• Enhancing the existing ramp to serve inbound traffic movement from the Dubailand Residential Complex heading westwards to the Dubai-Al Ain Road in the direction of Dubai.
• Construction of a new 528m ramp to serve inbound traffic from Dubai heading northwards to the Academic City and the Dubai Silicon Oasis. • Service roads have been constructed on both sides of the road along with turns to serve other traffic movements and development projects.
• Improvement of the Nad Al Sheba intersection to serve traffic from the Dubai-Al Ain Road to Nad Al Sheba and vice versa along with improvements of the inward and outwards surface roads of the Nad Al Sheba district.
• Enhancing Al Ain Road, which has been linked with Al Manama Street by a four-lane bridge in each direction to link Al Meydan Road with Al Manama Road.
• The previous bridge connecting Al Meydan Road and the Dubai-Al Ain Road has been improved to serve the residential projects of Meydan.
