Dubai: As of January 1, 2013, Emirates Road has a new name — Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road.

The name was changed under the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in recognition of Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s role in the UAE’s march of comprehensive development.

Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road is considered one of the key roads in the UAE. The 140km road, 73km of which is located in Dubai, links Dubai with the rest of the emirates.

Easing flow

Since its inauguration in 2001, the road has contributed to easing the flow of traffic for motorists and improving the movement of goods overland.

It also provides smooth passage for trucks, shortening the time they travel on the main roads, therefore ensuring the smooth flow of traffic in internal roads in Dubai and neighbouring emirates.

The road is expected to become an even more integral part of the road network in light of developmental projects being set up along the highway.

Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road has been experiencing a steady increase in the flow of traffic in light of the economic and urban development in the UAE. This increasing traffic flow has been accompanied by a series of projects aiming to develop the road to increase its capacity.

Massive expansion

The massive expansion project undertaken by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority in 2006 has played a significant role in increasing the capacity of the road, increasing the number of lanes from three to six in each direction with a capacity for 12,000 vehicles an hour.

An official at the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said around 100 main signs on the road have already been changed and another 150 will be changed in a couple of days.