New 68km highway, rapid bus system to transform Dubai–Sharjah travel / Image: file
For years, the Dubai – Sharjah – Ajman stretch has been one of the UAE’s most congested commuter corridors, affecting millions of daily travellers moving between home and work.The issue isn’t small. The three emirates together form the UAE’s largest urban cluster, with over 6 million residents and intense daily cross-border commuting. Peak-hour traffic on major routes like Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E311) often slows to a crawl, with long delays becoming routine.Now, authorities say a multi-layered transport overhaul is the only way to fix the problem, not just more roads, but smarter mobility options.
Dh6 billion highway project
At the centre of the plan is a massive Dh6-billion federal highway project, often referred to as the “Fourth Federal Highway.”Key features include:
- 68km-long highway connecting Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman
- 6 to 8 lanes in each direction to significantly increase capacity
- 10 major interchanges to reduce bottlenecks
- 4 flyovers to improve traffic flow at key junctions
This new corridor will join existing major highways like E11, E311 and E611, which are currently under heavy pressure.Officials say the highway is designed not just to ease congestion but also to support future population growth and economic expansion across the northern emirates.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
The plan does not rely only on expanding roads. A key shift is the introduction of a high-capacity public transport system designed to move people more efficiently across the three emirates. Authorities have proposed around 10 major transit routes linking Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, supported by dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes that allow buses to bypass traffic congestion. These BRT systems will operate on exclusive corridors, ensuring faster and more reliable journeys, much like a metro system but with greater flexibility and lower cost of deployment. The network is expected to connect directly with metro stations and major urban centres, making transfers smoother for daily commuters. The broader aim is to reduce reliance on private cars, shorten commute times, and lower carbon emissions, especially as vehicle numbers across the UAE continue to rise.
More than just roads and buses
The proposal was reviewed during the first 2026 meeting of the UAE Infrastructure and Housing Council, chaired by Energy and Infrastructure Minister Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei. Officials emphasised that solving congestion will require more than just building new roads.Alongside infrastructure expansion, authorities are studying ways to manage the growth of vehicle ownership while improving coordination between different modes of transport, including road networks and public transit systems. There is also a strong focus on long-term sustainable mobility planning, signalling a broader shift in UAE policy towards a fully integrated, multi-modal transport ecosystem rather than relying solely on road expansion.
What this means for daily commuters?
For millions of commuters travelling daily between Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, the combined impact of these measures could be transformative. Travel times are expected to improve as congestion eases across key routes, while the availability of faster and more reliable public transport could offer a practical alternative to driving.Over time, this could reduce peak-hour pressure on highways, lower commuting stress, and make cross-emirate travel more predictable and efficient. Ultimately, the plan reflects a larger effort to rethink how people move between cities, focusing not just on adding capacity but on creating a smarter and more balanced transport system. Go to Source
