All National Paints road lanes to open in 10 days

Fourth lane in Dubai direction opens

Finally, motorists travelling on Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road in the direction of Dubai can heave a relief with the expected opening of the five lanes at National Paints within ten days.

An aerial view of the new bridge at National Paints in Sharjah. — KT photo by Juidin Bernarrd

Traffic snarls have been the order of the day over the last several weeks since the closure of three lanes at the National Paints Bridge for those travelling from the Northern Emirates to Dubai.

The Ministry of Public Works, in a bid to ease traffic congestion, has opened a fourth lane on Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road at National Paints in the direction of Dubai.

A senior official said the fourth lane gives relief to the motorists travelling from the Northern Emirates, particularly Ajman and Sharjah, to Dubai on the arterial road, earlier known as Emirates Road. Zahra Al Abudi, Undersecretary of the ministry, said the bridge (National Paints, Sharjah-Dubai direction) was slated to be opened some time back.

“The ongoing maintenance works at the bridge at the old fifth industrial intersection have delayed the inauguration.”

The ministry, on February 22 this year, opened the widened road in the direction of Ajman while the opposite road from Ajman to Dubai was supposed to be opened two weeks later, but was put off. The Ministry of Public Works has finished the maintenance works of the old bridge to go with the new bridge.

“The five lanes of the National Paints Bridge shall be ready within ten days.”

She said a three-lane service road will be built on the side of the eight-lane road section between the University Intersection and Al Dhaid Intersection. “The road will ease traffic congestion for those travelling from Dubai to Ajman, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.”

Al Abudi said the 10-lane Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road at the National Paints Bridge in the direction of Dubai can accommodate up to 7,500 vehicles per hour.

“The project is one of the major schemes being carried out under the initiatives of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to adopt thorough solutions to traffic snarls on Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.”

“The project, spanning the construction of three bridges and new lanes, was estimated to cost Dh1 billion,” Al Abudi noted.

The road, since its inception in 2001, has enhanced traffic flow, particularly between Dubai and other emirates.

“It has given a boost to land transport, eased movement of heavy trucks, saved time, and curbed traffic congestion on internal roads of the emirates of Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman,” she said.

ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com