Commuters welcome end of Sharjah roadworks

Commuters are hoping for an easier ride with the completion of phase one of the multi-million dirham upgrade of King Faisal Road. Reem Mohammed / The National

SHARJAH // Commuters are hoping for an easier ride with the completion of phase one of the multi-million dirham upgrade of King Faisal Road.

The Dh11.4 million project, which started in July, caused daily traffic jams along the busy stretch of motorway.

Phase one was completed last Thursday when the road towards the Central Market was opened, said Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority. Work on the lanes in the opposite direction has begun and is expected to take three months.

The final phase of the project involves resurfacing three lanes and a service road along a two-kilometre stretch. Pedestrian crossings will be added.

Egyptian Ahmad Yousef, 31, who lives in Abu Shogara, said traffic was flowing easily on Sunday. “I reached my office 20 minutes early, which is a feat. The streets in the adjacent areas have seen a decrease in the amount of cars but are still busy.”

Joseph David takes King Faisal Road to work each day.

“This direction towards the central market is now wider and flows nicely. However, we hope the construction finishes soon so that we don’t have to worry about pedestrians crossing from undesignated places,” said the 34-year-old Filipino.

Motorists urged the RTA and police to ban parking on Al Wahda Road as it creates traffic jams.