Al Wadha Road Phase One officially completed

Halcrow chief resident engineer Steve W Hodgkins with a schematic for the project

Two major interchanges in Sharjah were opened to traffic yesterday, marking the completion of the first phase of the US $217 million (AED800 million) Al Wahda Road project.

Shaikh Khalid Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Sharjah Public Works director general, was driven over the Flying Saucer junction and through the Cultural Square underpass before the public tested the new development.

“This project has been fast tracked with all the difficulties associated with constructing major urban infrastructure and all the team involved should be very proud of the delivery,” said Halcrow project director Adrian Manning.

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The launch of phase one, which comes six days ahead of schedule, is set to significantly ease traffic flows in the emirate.

The whole project, including Yarmook junction and the major viaduct and underpass at Abu Shagara junction, is due to be competed in September 2010.

But, according to senior resident engineer Mike Johnston there is still a long way to go. “The last two interchanges are not that well advanced because we have been focused on diverting services such as water and gas pipes,” he said.

“The full advantage of the improvement will not be felt until the whole of Al Wahda Street is opened, which includes the viaduct at Abu Shagara,” added Manning.

The cultural square interchange consists of an underpass along Al Wahda Street, passing below Cultural Square roundabout and leading traffic to and from Sheikh Muhammed Bin Saqr Al Qasmi Road.

The ramp portion of the tunnel is around 500m-long on either side with a closed tunnel of length around 175m.