An extra lane has been added to a road in Sharjah to ease congestion for motorists driving to the emirate from Dubai.
The 600-metre stretch at an exit from Al Ittihad Road was added by the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority.
The widening at Al Khan means there are now two exit lanes to improve traffic flow. It was previously only one lane and prone to rush-hour congestion.
Matar Al Muhairi, a civil engineer from the authority, said the project aligns with the authority's commitment to enhancing Sharjah's road network.
“This modification forms part of several improvement projects under way across different parts of the emirate,” he said.
“The newly incorporated traffic lane has been connected to the bridge, effectively doubling the exit lanes leading to Al Khan area from one to two.”
Road project welcomed
Ahmed Zakaria, an Egyptian who lives in Sharjah and works near Emirates Road in Dubai, frequently uses the bridge to get to his flat in Al Khan and is often stuck in severe traffic.
He said the additional lane would help clear the congestion during busy periods.
“While I don't encounter traffic issues on Emirates Road, movement comes to a halt near Al Ansar Mall in Sharjah where I have to transition to a single-lane road to cross the bridge to the Al Khan area,” he said.
“The resulting bottleneck would cause a daily delay of 15 to 20 minutes.”
He said many motorists tend to change lanes at the last minute, which worsens the problem.
“I hope the new lane will smooth out the traffic flow,” he said.
Nashwan Al Dori, 36, an Iraqi engineer based in Hor Al Anz in Dubai, said commuting via Al Ittihad Road can be an ordeal from 5pm to 9pm.
“Many drivers on Al Ittihad Road are crammed into a single lane to take the Al Khan bridge,” he told The National. “This route definitely needed an extra lane to facilitate smoother traffic.
“Commuters coming from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Emirates roads end up in a bottleneck as they need to take the bridge to reach Al Khan and Al Taawun areas.
“I am hopeful that this recent upgrade will help reduce commuting time.”
