Sharjah opens Al Taawun Interchange in road link upgrade

Sharjah, UAE - His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, on Wednesday opened the first phase of a programme to build new road connections linking Sharjah with Dubai, intended to ease congestion and improve traffic flow between the two emirates.

Phase one partially opens Al Taawun Interchange and brings several bridges and junctions into service. Traffic now runs one way from Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road to Expo Centre Sharjah, giving Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) visitors easier access, according to the state news agency WAM.

Full operation will come with the second phase. That stage covers the complete opening of Al Taawun Tunnel and Al Taawun Roundabout’s upper-level junction, finishing the bridges and junctions on the three industrial streets, and work on Al Khulafa Al Rashideen Interchange together with its bridge to Jamal Abdul Nasser Street.

The joint work of the entities involved, and their complementary roles, sped up the first phase, said Dr Salah bin Butti Al Muhairi, Chairman of the Initiatives Implementation Authority, “Mubadara”. He said the scheme makes the road network more efficient, adds capacity on key routes to cut congestion and makes journeys smoother.

Al Muhairi said the projects reflect the Ruler of Sharjah’s vision and directives for integrated infrastructure that keeps up with the emirate’s urban and economic expansion and improves quality of life.

At the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA), Chairman Eng. Yousef Khamis Al Othmani said the opening followed the Ruler’s directives, which guide the development of the emirate’s road system.

Al Othmani said: “This vision places people, their needs and their quality of life at the heart of development. The works completed in the project’s first phase put this vision into practice by developing vital routes and junctions and strengthening their integration with service facilities, keeping pace with the emirate’s growth and supporting efficient travel.”

He added: “We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the Initiatives Implementation Authority and all relevant local and federal entities involved in these projects for their cooperation, combined efforts, support and coordination throughout the various stages of work.

“This institutional integration reflects an effective partnership that brings together expertise and resources to achieve development objectives and serve the emirate and its people. The value of these projects lies in their anticipated impact on people, families and their daily journeys, as well as the connectivity and efficiency they add to the road network.

“We are working continuously with our partners to complete the project to the highest standards of quality, precision, safety and sustainability, while accelerating progress to deliver infrastructure that serves present requirements and meets future needs.”

Five sections make up the project, all aimed at relieving congestion and improving traffic movement on main roads in Sharjah.

Section one is Al Taawun Tunnel and Roundabout. Its 560-metre tunnel carries three lanes each way on Al Taawun Street in the direction of Al Nahda Bridge and Dubai, alongside a roundabout, while a traffic-light junction above it handles surface traffic.

The tunnel is designed for about 4,200 vehicles in the peak hour. By keeping through traffic apart from local traffic, it is meant to ease queues at Al Taawun junction, keep traffic moving towards Dubai and make Expo Centre Sharjah and nearby areas easier to reach.

On Al Ittihad Road, section two upgrades Al Khulafa Al Rashideen Interchange with two box underpasses beneath the existing bridge, adding two lanes in each direction, plus a bridge of about 315 metres connecting the interchange with Jamal Abdul Nasser Street.

Service roads and parking along Al Ittihad Road are being improved too, with sightlines kept open and shopfronts left unobstructed so that businesses stay easy to reach. The section is expected to add room for about 2,600 vehicles an hour across both directions and to connect Al Khan Street and the Ring Road better with the main roads that feed Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road.

Section three replaces the two junctions where First and Second Industrial Streets cross with a signal-controlled junction, adding two free-flow turning lanes ahead of the lights. Two new bridges, about 866 metres long and carrying two lanes each way, are also included.

The new junction links Wasit Street in Sharjah directly with Damascus Street in Dubai, with onward routes to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street and Mleiha Street, and is meant to reduce conflicting traffic movements. Its target capacity is about 2,800 vehicles an hour at peak times.

At the Third Industrial Street junction, section four adds a new road link. Two new bridges will connect the Ring Road with Al Khan Street and run on as far as Al Khulafa Al Rashideen Interchange, serving both directions of travel to Dubai and the industrial areas.

Improvements to the turning routes for Al Dhaid Road, Mleiha Street and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street cover about 2.7 kilometres in total, and a vehicular underpass will carry industrial-area traffic onto the Ring Road on free-flow routes, so drivers stop less often at junctions.

WAM counted this link among the most significant elements of the project. It opens a new direct route to Sharjah city centre, ties the industrial areas more closely to Port Khalid, and is estimated to add about 5,200 vehicles an hour of capacity in both directions.

Section five adds a third lane to the turning route that takes Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road traffic onto the Ring Road. The Ring Road itself is being widened on the stretch between the Third Industrial Street junction and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road, with two extra lanes in the city-centre direction and one more heading for Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road.

Entry and exit points are being rearranged, and lanes for merging and diverging improved, which is intended to raise capacity and help traffic pass smoothly between the new links and the existing network.

When all phases are complete, the new routes will connect Sharjah’s industrial, commercial and residential areas with its main roads and improve travel to Dubai, according to WAM.

Across the project, roads total about 9.18 kilometres, with 207,265 square metres of paving, about 753 metres of bridges and 581 metres of tunnels. A stormwater drainage network of about 19 kilometres has also been laid, in coordination with the utility authorities.