The Dubai-Abu Dhabi Highway of E 11 links the two largest cities of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The project was first proposed in 1968 by the Sheikhs of Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Sheikh Zayed. In 1971, the project was approved and construction began. The highway was completed in 1980.[2] The highway starts near Al Maqta' Bridge in Abu Dhabi and becomes Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.
Sheikh Zayed Road
In Dubai, E 11 is known as "Sheikh Zayed Road" (in Arabic: شارع الشيخ زايد). This road is the main artery of the city. The highway runs parallel to the coastline from the Trade Centre Roundabout to the border with the emirate of Abu Dhabi, 55 kilometres (34 mi) away in the area of Jebel Ali.[3]
Skyscrapers on Sheikh Zayed Road in July 2006
The road was formerly known as Defence Road.[3] Between 1993 and 1998, 30 kilometres (19 mi) of the road was expanded.[3] Along with this improvement came a change in the name. Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai at the time, named the road after the then president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.[4]
The E11 is designated as such because "E" stands for Emirates, and the number system was adopted in 1995 to represent nationally and internationally significant high-speed roads within the UAE. The E Route system defines these roads as having limited or controlled access and a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour or higher. The E11 is part of this system, categorized as a primary road, with its numbering indicating a north-south orientation as per the guidelines detailed in the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport's document TR-538 from 2018.[5]
Overhead view of Sheikh Zayed Road and its skyscrapers
The Sheikh Zayed Road is home to most of Dubai's skyscrapers, including the Emirates Towers. The highway also connects other new developments such as the Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina. The road has most of the Red Line of Dubai Metro running alongside it.[6] In Dubai itself much of the highway has seven to eight lanes in each direction.
In recent years, the government built a canal, the Dubai Water Canal; as part of the project, a section of the road was removed and a bridge was constructed.[7]
Traffic pileup
On 12 March 2008, approximately 200 vehicles smashed into each other before going up in flames.[8][9] According to the Abu Dhabi Police, 3 people were killed and 277 injured, 15 of them critically. Thick fog and poor visibility contributed to the deadly pileup. The event is considered to be one of the worst traffic collisions in the UAE's history.
Exit list
In the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, exits are numbered based on distance starting from east to west within the emirate.
