Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development, has inspected the progress of work on the Maliha Rd connected to Sheikh Khalifa Rd, expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2019.

The project is of a special importance, being a major route for different means of transport in the East Coast. Once completed, it will smoothen traffic flow and cut travel times up and down the region.

During the tour, Al Nuaimi was given a comprehensive explanation on the project, including the use of innovative technologies to reduce execution time and boost quality.

He said that the road, which would accommodate 2,500 vehicles per hour in each direction, will serve traffic in the area well for the next 20 years. The designing of the route has taken into account the growing percentage of the traffic density, which is estimated at 3.5 percent annually, he added.

He stated that the Ministry of Infrastructure Development had made a traffic study before executing the project, during which it was found out that the number of vehicles which use the current road within the city us estimated at 1,400 vehicles per hour in each direction: 80 percent of which small vehicles, 8 percent trucks, and 12 percent buses and other vehicles. The route would be used by vehicles travelling from inside Khorfakkan city to the outskirts, he pointed out.

The minister underlined the importance of the project whose estimated cost stands at AED150 million for a distance of 5.4 kilometres. The route would connect the Dibba – Khorfakkan – Kalba Road "E99" with the Sheikh Khalifa Road in Fujairah "E84", and then the central region through the Sharjah – Maliha Road "E102". The project should provide a ring road around Khorfakkan city which will contribute to reducing the heavy traffic inside the city and would thus complete the continuation of the Federal road "E99". In addition, the new road will connect the Difta – Shais Road which is being executed by the Government of Sharjah, and considered to be an extension of the previously executed stages.

During the inspection tour, the minister stressed the necessity for executing pivotal projects with the aim of ensuring a decent life for both nationals and residents in the country. He pointed out that the ministry is striving to achieve a prestigious stature for the UAE internationally through its execution of different projects which play a crucial role in supporting the country’s stature on the global competitiveness scale in line with the UAE Vision 2021 and the country’s National Agenda.

The minister was on a field tour to inspect the project on the East coast of the country. He was accompanied by Eng. Hassan Jumaa Al Mansoori, Under-Secretary of the ministry, and a number of engineers and supervisors working on the project.