$226mn Sharjah road project delayed

(Photo by Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images)

Road improvements are set to provide light relief for motorists as Al Nahda Interchange in Sharjah is expected to open this week.

But, the Al Ittihad Road improvement project, worth US $226 million (AED 830 million) has been delayed by at least six months meaning motorists commuting on the busiest highway between Dubai and Sharjah will continue to suffer.

"The project is expected to be fully complete by July this year," a spokesperson of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) told Gulf News.

"The RTA always tries to push for early completion of projects, but sometimes these projects get delayed due to unforeseen conditions. Limited working hours in some areas, relocation of utility services and live traffic in the area of construction are some of the causes leading to some delays.”

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The Al Ittihad Road improvement project includes the development of an eight-lane motorway on a 7.5km stretch of road between Al Nahda Interchange, near Sharjah and Al Garhoud Bridge.

The project, divided into two contracts, was awarded to two separate companies, with work beginning in December 2006. The motorway was due to be completed within two years, opening in January 2009.

The first contract includes part of Al Ittihad Road, between Al Nahda Interchange and Al Sho'lah junction, and construction of Al Nahda Interchange and Al Qiyadah Intersection - major bottlenecks of traffic traveling between Dubai and Sharjah.

It also included construction of a free-flow interchange on Airport Road and the expansion of the existing two lanes to four lanes in each direction.

The second contract involves the expansion of the road between Al Sho'lah junction and Al Garhoud Bridge.