Major Dubai road extension set to open to ease traffic jams

Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street - previously Academic City Road - is named after the Abu Dhabi royal who was injured in Yemen

A major new section of road is expected to ease traffic when it opens in Dubai on Wednesday. The extension of Academic City Road runs for 25km across the city's outskirts from Sharjah in the east to JShow more

A major new section of road is expected to ease traffic when it opens in Dubai on Wednesday.

The extension of Academic City Road runs for 25km across the city's outskirts from Sharjah in the east to Jebel Ali in the west, linking the Dubai-Al Ain Road and Al Yalayes Road.

It passes Dubai Silicon Oasis, Arabian Ranches and the Expo 2020 site.

It is expected to ease traffic in the upcoming Expo 2020 district and "ease the traffic movement in all parts of the emirate", the Roads and Transport Authority said on Monday.

The eight-lane road was renamed Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street last month in honour of the Abu Dhabi royal who was injured while serving in Yemen.

“Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street extends from the outskirts of Sharjah up to Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road. Works are currently underway in developing the last sector of the street from the intersection of Al Yalayes Road up to Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road and the entrance of Expo 2020 area," said Mattar Al Tayer, director-general of the RTA.

"This sector is part of Expo 2020 development projects. The RTA has set out a comprehensive plan for addressing the requirements of hosting Expo to ensure safe and smooth transport for visitors to Expo and events. Works also include upgrading the existing roads and intersections, undertaking Route 2020 for the extension of the Dubai Metro Red Line, and upgrading public transport systems and routes."

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Part of the expansion included the construction of several intersections with the existing roads network.

A flyover has been constructed at the intersection of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Street near the entrance of the International City - which has long-standing problems with congestion - for motorists coming from Emirates Road.

Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan, 27, was serving in the Presidential Guard when his helicopter crashed due to a technical failure during a "regular mission" on August 11, 2017.

The UAE has been fighting an extended campaign in the Shabwa governorate against Al Qaida since that time. That month, the UAE-trained Shabwa Elite Force drove Al Qaida-Arabian Peninsula out of the governorate’s capital, Ataq.

Numerous roads and mosques in the UAE have been renamed after servicemen who have died in Yemen.