Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that work is progressing at a steady pace on the AED2-billion ($544 million) Dubai-Al Ain Road improvement project, which is now nearly 60 per cent completed.

Once ready, the project will ensure a smooth traffic flow and enhance the links with key roads in the emirate namely Ras Al Khor Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Road and the Emirates Road, said the RTA.

It will also serve the existing and future development projects on both sides of the Dubai-Al Ain Road.

According to the RTA, the project involves doubling the road’s capacity from 6,000 to 12,000 vehicles per hour per direction and will also cut the journey time on Dubai-Al Ain Road, from Bu Kadra junction to Emirates Road junction, from 16 to eight minutes during peak hours.

Meanwhile, the RTA announced that work is moving at a steady pace on the Al Khawaneej Road Improvement Project which is also 60 per cent complete.

The project works include the construction of three intersections or service roads extending 23 km along Al Khawaneej and Al Amardi Roads, it stated.

Al Khawaneej Roads Project is one of the key strategic projects for improving the links between Dubai and Sharjah through the development of vertical roads linking with the Emirates Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road up to Airport Street, said the RTA.

The project will also accommodate the current and projected growth of traffic. Upon completion, it will slash 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.

“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,” stated Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA.