UAE: New Emirates Road upgrade to cut RAK–Dubai travel time by nearly half

The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) announced on Friday that work has begun on a Dh750 million upgrade of Emirates Road. The project aims to cut travel time by up to 45 per cent for commuters moving between Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Sharjah and Dubai.

The upgrade will take two years to complete. It covers a 25km stretch from Al Badee Interchange to Umm Al Quwain. The road will be expanded from three to five lanes in each direction. This will raise its capacity to about 9,000 vehicles per hour, an increase of 65 per cent.

Interchange No. 7 will also be redeveloped. Six directional bridges will be built with a combined length of 12.6km. They will accommodate up to 13,200 vehicles per hour. In addition, 3.4km of service roads will be added on both sides of the highway.

MoEI said the project will reduce congestion and improve the flow of traffic on one of the busiest federal roads. It is also expected to lower emissions caused by jams. Officials added that the project will support trade and the movement of goods and services between Emirates.

“The Emirates Road enhancement and upgrade project is not merely an expansion of a vital road, but a qualitative leap towards building a more advanced, efficient, and sustainable federal road network capable of meeting the demands of rapid population and economic growth,” said Youssef Abdullah, assistant undersecretary for the Federal Infrastructure Projects Sector at MoEI.