Sharjah opened the first phase of a major road project linking the emirate with Dubai on Wednesday, bringing parts of Al Taawun Interchange into service and introducing a new route to Expo Centre Sharjah.
Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the development as authorities sought to improve traffic movement on heavily used connections between the neighbouring emirates.
The initial opening includes several bridges and junctions, with motorists now able to travel one way from Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road towards the exhibition centre. The arrangement coincides with the start of the Sharjah International Book Fair, which runs from November 4 to 15.
Dr Salah bin Butti Al Muhairi, chairman of the Initiatives Implementation Authority, Mubadara, said the first phase was intended to make access easier for book fair visitors while construction continued on other parts of the road network.
The interchange has not yet opened in full. The next phase will bring the upper-level junction at Al Taawun Roundabout and Al Taawun Tunnel into complete operation, alongside additional bridges and junctions serving three industrial streets.
Further work will upgrade Al Khulafa Al Rashideen Interchange and complete a bridge linking it with Jamal Abdul Nasser Street. Authorities expect the combined improvements to provide more routes between residential, commercial and industrial districts and major roads towards Dubai.
The wider scheme covers approximately 9.18 kilometres of roads and 207,265 square metres of paved surfaces. Its engineering works include about 753 metres of bridges and 581 metres of tunnels, as well as a stormwater drainage network extending approximately 19 kilometres.
The project is divided into five principal sections, addressing traffic movement through Al Taawun, industrial areas and the Ring Road. The completed network is designed to separate some through traffic from local journeys and increase capacity at key junctions.
One element is a tunnel at Al Taawun designed with three lanes in each direction. Plans envisage capacity of approximately 4,200 vehicles an hour during peak periods, although that figure describes the intended completed facility rather than traffic volumes achieved following Wednesday’s partial opening.
At Al Khulafa Al Rashideen Interchange, the planned improvements include two underpasses providing two additional lanes in each direction. A bridge measuring about 315 metres will connect the interchange with Jamal Abdul Nasser Street, with the upgraded connection designed to accommodate around 2,600 additional vehicles an hour.
The industrial road works include upgraded junctions and bridges intended to improve connections between Damascus Street in Dubai and Wasit Street in Sharjah. The planned capacity increase on these links is approximately 2,800 vehicles an hour.
Another section will connect the Ring Road, Al Khan Street and industrial districts through new bridges and an underpass, creating an additional route towards central Sharjah. Its projected extra capacity is approximately 5,200 vehicles an hour.
The Ring Road itself is also being widened. Plans include two extra lanes towards Sharjah city centre, one additional lane towards Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road and a three-lane turning connection from the highway towards the Ring Road.
Yousef Khamis Al Othmani, chairman of the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority, said the works were intended to improve everyday journeys and strengthen the integration of roads with surrounding services. He also highlighted coordination between local and federal bodies during implementation.
The programme includes changes to service roads, parking areas and entrances and exits serving commercial premises and neighbouring communities. These modifications are intended to make it easier for drivers to enter and leave local streets without unnecessarily disrupting traffic on the main corridors.
The authorities have emphasised that the opening represents only part of the wider development, with additional construction necessary before the planned road capacity can be fully realised. The new traffic arrangements are expected to benefit motorists using the exhibition centre approach, but the eventual impact on journey times across the Dubai-Sharjah corridor will depend on the completion and operation of the remaining junctions, bridges and tunnel connections.
The opening was timed to support visitor access to the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair at Expo Centre Sharjah. The 12-day event brings publishers, authors and readers to the venue, increasing demand for road access around Al Taawun while other construction work remains unfinished.
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