HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has approved the Dubai-Al Ain Road Improvement project at a cost of Dh2 billion ($544.4 million)

The project will enhance the road’s link with several highways, such as Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Road and Emirates Road. It will also serve the existing and future development projects on both sides of the Road.

The improvements will result in doubling the number of lanes from three to six lanes in each direction over a 17-km sector. Works also include upgrading six interchanges as well as constructing new bridges and service roads on both sides, said a statement from RTA.

The project will help boost traffic safety, enhance the road intake from 6,000 to 12,000 vehicles per hour, and cut transit time from Emirates Road interchange to Oud Metha Street from sixteen to eight minutes.

"It will serve several development projects on both sides of the Dubai-Al Ain Road such as Meydan, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubailand Residential Complex, Liwan and Dubai Design District," said Mattar Al Tayer, the director general and chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA.

"In view of the immense nature of the project and the need to complete it within the timeline set, the project has been split into two phases. Phase One, which costs around Dh1.3 billion extends 7 km from the interchange of Emirates Road to the interchange of the Mohammed bin Zayed Road, while Phase Two, which costs about Dh748 million extends 10 km from the interchange of the Mohammed bin Zayed Road up to the interchange of Bu Kadra and Ras Al Khor Street," he explained.

"The development of the remaining sector of the Dubai-Al Ain Road from the interchange of Emirates Road up to the outskirts of Al Ain city will be undertaken in future," added Al Tayer.

The initial phase of the project includes upgrading the junction with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, which currently witnesses high traffic volumes. The scope of work includes constructing four ramps to serve traffic movement in four directions, which is planned to be completed in the first half of 2020.

The existing bridge on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road will be redeveloped to enable widening of the Dubai-Al Ain Road from three to six lanes in each direction, besides constructing service roads on both sides of the Road, said Al Tayer.

"Under this phase, RTA will improve the junction with Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Road to link it with the extension of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Road, which was opened in March last year. It involves the construction of a flyover of four lanes in each direction crossing over Dubai-Al Ain Road, with a possibility of widening it to five lanes in future," he explained.

Works include improving the existing ramp to serve the inbound traffic from Dubailand Residential Complex heading westward to the Dubai-bound sector of Dubai-Al Ain Road, he added.

Al Tayer said a new flyover would be constructed to serve the traffic coming from Dubai heading northward to the Academic City and the Dubai Silicon Oasis.

Service roads will come up on both sides of the road along with turning ramps to serve other movements and development projects.  

Phase One also covers upgrading the interchange of Emirates Road by constructing a flyover crossing Dubai-Al-Ain Road to serve west-bound traffic from Dubailand Residential Complex to Dubai.
"Service roads will be constructed on both sides to avoid traffic overlapping on the highway, improve road efficiency, and enhance traffic safety," explained Al Tayer.

On Phase Two, Al Tayer said the work involves upgradation of the Nad Al Sheba interchange to serve the traffic from Dubai-Al Ain Road to Nad Al Sheba and vice versa, and improving inward and outward surface roads at Nad Al Sheba besides upgrading the interchange of Al Meydan Street and linking it with Al Manama Street.

"A bridge of four lanes in each direction will be constructed to link with Al Meydan Street and Al Manama Street, and the existing bridge at the intersection of Al Meydan Street will be improved to serve the development projects of Meydan," he added.-TradeArabia News Service