Congestion around Jebel Ali, Dubai Investment Park (DIP) and other areas adjoining Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road will ease further as the newly redesigned Al Houdh Interchange opened for traffic on 26 November 2016.

All the diversions that were made to facilitate the work around the interchange have been removed and with the full opening of the interchange, traffic now flows smoothly from Al Yalayis Road heading east to DIP and west to Sheikh Zayed Road and Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority.

It will also ensure smooth flow of the north- and south-bound traffic on Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road from and to Abu Dhabi.

The project was the final phase of the massive Dh1.9-billion expansion works on Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road extending from Sharjah border in the north to Abu Dhabi border in the south.

A major intersection in Jebel Ali that handles traffic coming in from several locations like Jebel Ali industrial areas, DIP and Al Maktoum International Airport, Al Houdh Interchange is all also a key point connecting with Expo 2020 site.

The expansion work replaced the massive signalised roundabout, which was a major source of traffic jams in the area, with multiple ramps and bridges.

Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said: “Al Houdh junction project is one of the key strategic projects on the Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road. Apart from upgrading the road infrastructure for free movement of traffic in all directions, the project also accommodates space for the path of Etihad Rail.”

The Dh228-million upgrade includes construction of four east-west bridges along the stretch of Al Yalayis Road, comprising three lanes in each direction with a total length of 600 metres.

The project also includes widening Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road from Jebel Ali — Lehbab intersection to the interchange leading to Al Maktoum International Airport from three to six lanes in each direction over a seven kilometre-long section.

Expansion work on the seven-kilometre-long stretch was completed in February 2016 and work on another four-kilometre stretch from Lehbab interchange to Al Houdh was completed in early November 2016.

Service lanes have also been built along the four-kilometre stretch extending from Al Khail Road junction to Al Houdh Interchange to ease the entry and exit of vehicles from the neighbouring areas.

Busy with truck and trailer traffic, completion of Al Houdh Interchange will improve road safety in the area as well as removing traffic bottlenecks.