New 62km Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway opens

Abu Dhabi: A new 62-kilometre highway connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai has been officially inaugurated on Tuesday (November 29) by Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and is now open to motorists.

The highway has been named Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Street, and it extends for 62 kilometres before joining Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road or E311.

The name was unveiled at a ceremony that saw Shaikh Hazza, Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and other government officials in attendance.

Officials at the Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport, which regulates transportation in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, said the new route will ease congestion on the existing road between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Road (E11).

The new stretch of highway has been constructed by Musanada, a government-owned firm that provides contracting, construction and facilities management services to public entities, at a cost of Dh2.1billion.

It consists of four lanes in either direction with a total of eight lanes, and can carry up to 8,000 vehicles per hour.

To ease traffic flow traffic, there are six interchanges along its 62-kilometre stretch.

Two petrol stations, one on either side of the road, are also under construction at present, and are expected to be opened by the third quarter of 2017.