WORK on Phase One of the Union Museum building in Dubai has begun, according to the emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of RTA, said the Union Museum will be constructed beside the Union House and in a location that is home to the second biggest UAE flag measuring 20 m by 40 m and fluttering 120 m above ground level.

Work on the first phase, which is scheduled for completion by mid-2014, comprises site preparation, relocation of artifacts and exhibits in the onsite buildings, construction of a 6-m-high boundary wall, demolition of the aging buildings at site, inspection and treatment the soil, and shifting of the utility lines.

Following the completion of Phase One, the RTA will award the contract of the main building of the museum, which will be a monument narrating the history of the federation, the formation of the UAE, and futuristic drive of this country, Al Tayer said.

The building consists of five sections. The first one highlights the story of the region and the lifestyle of population in various (desert, coastal and hilly) terrains in the pre-federation era. The second spotlights the details of how the UAE federation was formed. The third section depicts the renaissance era portraying the human, urban and economic developments and achievements made by the UAE. The fourth section is the Pearl Hall dedicated to official meetings and functions and the final section is a festivities yard comprising an outdoor theatre with a capacity to seat 500 persons.

Meanwhile, the RTA has awarded a Dh78-million ($21.2 million) contract for widening the Al Qudra Road, extending 24 km from the Arabian Ranches Interchange to Bab Al Shams, comprising three lanes in each direction.

The project, which aims to enhance the safety of the road as well as ease the flow of traffic, is set to be completed within 420 days.

Widening works will include the existing dual carriageway extending from Al Qudra Road up to the approaches of Jebel Ali-Lehbab Interchange, and the single carriageway bound towards Al Marmoom comprising three lanes in each direction, said Al Tayer.

The project also comprises the construction of a new bridge over Jebel Ali- Lehbab Road in addition to the existing bridge such that each of the two bridges will be of three lanes in each direction.