Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008
Sharjah: Many residents in Sharjah sacrificed their early morning walk on Monday to ascertain the detours and alternative routes on Al Wahda Street.
The two-year closure of Sharjah's main Al Wahda Street for the second phase of road work has been a topic of discussion for many Sharjah residents who live in and around the area.
Interestingly not everyone is glum about the road closure. The news has brought great relief to those living in the Al Nahda and Al Ta'awun areas, who are looking forward to driving on a congestion free Al Ittihad Road.
"I feel sorry for all those people who live in and around the project area on Al Wahda Street, but when I read about the street closure in the local media, it came as such a relief. The first thing I told my husband was how easy it will be to drive on Al Ittihad Road from Al Ta'awun Street minus all that traffic pouring onto it from Al Wahda Street," said Mariam Hussani, an Arab, who lives across from Al Ta'awun Mall.
Some have even gone to the extent of taking the detour located next to Al Falah Plaza.
"There are freshly laid lanes for a detour that runs adjacent to Al Falah Plaza on Al Wahda. I was anxious to know where the detour leads to and how convenient it is going to be for me if I want to take it from next week onwards," said Fahim Ali Hussain, a Pakistani resident of Sharjah who takes Airport Road to reach Dubai via the Sharjah-Dubai Bypass Road.
The stretch of Al Wahda Street which runs in front of the Liberty automobiles showroom has been closed for many months and wears a deserted look with many businesses closing shop and moving to other areas.
Disappointed
"I have almost forgotten how busy this particular street used to be prior to being closed. Now with construction all around, it is deserted.
"We have our regular clients but we have lost on the number of daily visitors who use to enter our shops to check out our latest range of furniture," said a shop assistant from one of the few furniture shops operating on Al Wahda Street.
The Gupta family who moved from Bur Dubai to a two-bedroom flat on Al Wahda, said they were disappointed with all the detours.
"Our building is located near Al Falah Plaza and it is going to be a horrendous two years for each one of us living on this part of Al Wahda Street. In Dubai, it was the rents that made an impact on our standard of living but in Sharjah it is the traffic congestion and now the street closure," said Dev Gupta, an Indian.
By Sunita Menon
Gulf News 2008. All rights reserved.
