A major upgrade of the road arteries is underway in Sharjah to free the streets of perpetual traffic jams, and the second link road to Dubai in the industrial area is planned to become a dual three-lane carriageway within the Sharjah emirate.
Work is in progress at the Emirates Road to attract motorists who usually prefer the Al-Ittihad Road (Sharjah-Dubai Highway), clogging it in the peak hours of the day.
The 12.5-kilometre stretch of the Emirates Road from the Sharjah-Dubai border to Wasit Power Station interchange will cost Dh200 million and will be ready by the end of next yearKhawla Al Numan, Director General of the Public Works Department, told journalists yesterday that there will be five grade separated interchanges on this stretch to allow free flow of traffic.
"This provides a continuation of the Emirates Road from Dubai through the Sharjah emirate." It will help ease traffic as motorists going to Ajman or Ras Al Khaimah need not pass through downtown Sharjah.
Also under study are major improvements to the busy Al Arouba Road.
Abdul Matin Khan, Project Manager-Highways, with Halcrow, the UK-based consultants, said studies are underway whether to demolish the old overhead bridges or to strengthen them.
There are many narrow lanes which need to be extended, he said. The total length of this Sharjah Ring Road project is 30 kilometres and will be undertaken in the second phase of the project, at a total cost of around Dh400 million.
The first phase connects the Emirates Road in Sharjah at Junction 8E in the Industrial Area number 15 and continues towards Ajman. It then turns north-west, parallel to the Sharjah-Ajman border, and connects with the existing Sharjah-Ras Al Khaimah Road, adjacent to the Wasit Power Station (See graphic).
Asked if the road improvements will further create road blocks while work is underway, Khan said diversions are planned and a traffic management system already in place to minimise traffic disruption.
The Sharjah Ring Road project will take about three years to complete and will include an extension on Al Arouba Road, from Al Khan Road to Al Nahda extension. The design is complete and waiting for tender.
The Ring Road will be complete with the final phase connecting the Al Nahda Interchange to Junction 8 E. The design of this section is under progress, according to the consultant.
Asked why motorists prefer Al-Ittihad to the Emirates Road, Khan said they feel it is far away from the city centre and at the edge of the industrial area. About 12,000 motorists travel on Al-Ittihad daily on both carriageways. There are stretches of the road which turn into bottlenecks, bringing traffic to a near standstill.
Khan said there are also plans to widen the street down from the King Abdul Aziz Square towards the Industrial Area, which will make it easier to access the Emirates Road.
He did not go into details, saying that the Public Works Department will make the announcement at a later stage.
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