The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai announced on Sunday (March 19, 2006), a comprehensive plan for the expansion and development of the Al Ittihad Road which links Dubai and Sharjah and a few commercial and residential areas within Dubai. The estimated cost of the expansion project is around AED 700 million.
The entire project will include the expansion of the 7.5 kilometer area from Sheikh Rashid road through Al Garhoud, towards Al Shoula Intersection, heading to Al Ittihad road adjacent to the airport, crossing the Headquarters Roundabout (Galadari). This development will continue throughout Al Ittihad street till the border of Sharjah as it passes through the Al Nahda Intersection.
Speaking at the conference, H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Executive Director and Chairman, Board of Directors, Roads and Transport Authority, said, "We are committed to the development and research to devise the best ways to improve the roads and transport system in Dubai and ensure that all roads leading to the emirate are of the highest standards. We are keen on adopting best global practices to develop and enhance the traffic in the city. Our comprehensive plan to extend the Al Ittihad Road is part of an integrated project that H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai approved recently, to develop the transport infrastructure in Dubai.”
“Such projects will complement the growth and development which Dubai has been witnessing and will provide solutions to the current and future traffic and transport requirements,” he added.
"The development plan will include two kinds of roads comprising of a highway and a side road of four lanes each in both directions. A new tunnel with four lanes will be constructed at the Dubai Airport Intersection to assist the flow of traffic towards Sharjah, which is an addition to the existing tunnel," said Engineer Maitha Bin Adi, Director of Roads Department at RTA.
The addition of the tunnel will facilitate the smooth distribution of traffic thereby easing traffic congestion from Sharjah towards the Garhoud Bridge. A new bridge will be constructed with two lanes, to ease traffic flow from Sharjah, Al Nahda and Al Mamzar areas towards Dubai International Airport, "she added.
Other developments include the construction of a two-lane bridge from Port Saeed and Garhoud areas towards the Clock Tower. Two tunnels will be added to the existing one at the Qiyada Roundabout and a new bridge comprising of two lanes will be constructed to aid the traffic coming from Abu Hail and Salahuddin road towards Sharjah, without disrupting the existing traffic flow and signals.
In addition to the existing tunnel at the Al Nahda Interchange (Al Mulla Plaza), another tunnel with three lanes will be constructed at the same interchange to help the flow of traffic from Dubai to Sharjah, by increasing the number of lanes to six.
To aid the traffic from Al Mamzar and Al Nahda to Dubai, a new tunnel of two lanes will be built. A new bridge comprising of three lanes will be constructed to aid the traffic flow towards Al Waheeda and Deira from Al Nahda Street. The expansion program will eventually include a new bridge linking Al Mamzar with Al Nahda area to facilitate free traffic movement from Al Mamzar and Al Nahda towards Dubai.
