Motorists have welcomed the completion of a multi-million dirham construction project to improve a section of road linking Abu Dhabi to Dubai.
For more than two years, commuters between the two emirates have often faced long delays during peak hours when travelling along part of the E11.
The stretch of road, also known as Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Road, starts near Abu Dhabi International Airport turn-off and heads towards the capital.
Bollards lining either side of the road have for years narrowed its width, contributing to congestion. A 20kph speed reduction – from 140kph to 120kph – has also slowed traffic.
"I travel from Dubai Motor City to Khalifa City about three days a week and often find myself caught in traffic during the morning rush hour at this spot," commuter Charles George, 33, told The National.
“I only noticed on Monday that the road dividers are no longer impeding my route.
“Traffic flow should hopefully improve now because of the increased lane space and 140kmph speed limit.”
Another frequent commuter said the completed works, which include a new road surface, would speed up her round-trip time by about 25 minutes.
“I'd say the roadworks delayed my journey by about 10 to 15 minutes each way,” she said.
“It was worse during the evening rush hour and if there was an accident, traffic would slow dramatically because of the reduced number of lanes.
"I'm happy those dreadful bollards are finally gone from the road and I have less time on the road.”
The roadworks were undertaken as part of a broader strategy to improve traffic flow along the motorway, according to Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport.
Construction began about two years ago, with engineers replacing damaged layers of asphalt as well as carrying out other maintenance.
The E11 is the longest road in the Emirates and stretches from Al Silah in Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah.
Traffic between Dubai and the capital is expected to rise to more than 12,000 cars per hour at peak times by 2030, according to DoT figures.
As motorists travel along the E11 from emirate to emirate, the name of the road changes. In Dubai, it is called Sheikh Zayed Road.
