60% of construction works have been completed on the Al Khawaneej Road Improvement Project, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced. Work is said to be progressing at a steady pace on the project, which includes the construction of three intersections or service roads extending 23km along Al Khawaneej and Al Amardi Roads.
According to a statement from the RTA, the project is one of the key strategic projects for improving the links between Dubai and Sharjah, through the improvement of vertical roads linking with the Emirates Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road up to Airport Street. The project is expected to accommodate the current and projected growth of traffic.
On completion, the upgrade will reduce the travel time between Emirates Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road from 25 minutes to nine minutes, and the waiting time at the junction of Al Khawaneej-Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Roads (Al Khawaneej Roundabout) from 330 seconds to 45 seconds, the RTA said.
“It will double up the capacity of the junction from 8,000 to 16,000 vehicles per hour. Replacing the roundabout at the intersection of Al Khawaneej-Al Amardi Roads by a surface junction will halve the waiting time from 120 seconds to 60 seconds,” explained Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, director-general, chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA.
The road upgrade project follows the opening of the Tripoli Street Improvement Project, which provides a link between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road. The opening of this 12km road eased the traffic flow, improved the entry points at Al Warqa and Mirdif along Tripoli Road, and improved the overall safety along the corridor, the statement noted.
Commenting on the progress, Al Tayer said, “The completion rate reached 82% at the underpass intersection of Al Khawaneej Road and Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Road. The contractor completed the construction works at the closed section of the tunnel and is currently working on the supporting walls of the open section of the tunnel. Works are expected to be completed and the tunnel to be opened for traffic this March.”
According to Al Tayer, nearly 60% of the bridge leading to Al Awir has been completed, following the installation of precast bridge parts across Emirates Road in the direction of Abu Dhabi-Sharjah.
He concluded, “Works are currently underway for the installation of other parts at Al Amardi, which are expected to be completed by the end of this month. Then the contractor will undertake the remaining construction works, such that the bridge will be ready for opening by the end of March this year.”