New Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway to ease traffic congestion

November 30, 2016 1659

Abu Dhabi: Motorists travelling between Abu Dhabi and Dubai can now use a new stretch of highway, the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Road, which was opened to vehicular traffic on Tuesday.

The new 62-kilometre road, which connects to the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road on route E311, is an alternative to the existing Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway, the Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Road (E11). At the formal inauguration, officials from the Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport (DMAT) said the highway should ease congestion on E11, especially during peak hours.

The inauguration was attended by Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council; Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; and a host of other government officials.

The new Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid road comprises four lanes in each direction with a total of eight lanes. It was constructed at a cost of Dh2.1 billion by Musanada, a government-owned firm that provides construction, contracting and facilities management services to public entities.

“The highway can carry a total of 8,000 vehicles per hour. It includes six interchanges and six underpasses to ease the flow of traffic. And while there are no petrol stations along the stretch yet, two stations, one for either side of the road, are being constructed. They should be open by the third quarter of 2017,” said Shamsa Al Shamsi, project manager at Musanada.

The route begins from Sweihan Interchange on the Abu Dhabi-Sweihan Road and extends until the Abu Dhabi-Dubai border near Seih Shuaib. In the outbound direction from the capital, the highway passes by Al Maha Forest, the Forestry Green Belt, Kizad, Abu Mureikha and the Zayed Military Camp, continuing on to Mohammad Bin Zayed Road near Seih Shueib.

It is lit with 2,000 lighting poles, and the hard shoulders of the road are three metres wide. There are six lay-bys designed to be used as patrol points for police, ambulance and other emergency providers. Emergency response vehicles will also be able to take U-turns at five points along the road.

The highway also has the capacity for expansion that could add two additional lanes on either side of the road in the future.

“We also hope to connect the highway from its current starting point in Al Falah area to the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Road,” a DMAT official added.


Zawya