Dubai has officially approved the construction of the New Fourth Corridor, an 80-kilometre, 12-lane highway project designed to transform inter-emirate travel and reduce commute times between Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah by up to 60 per cent.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, approved the construction of a new highway. Spanning from Al Faya Road in Abu Dhabi to Al Shanouf Road in Sharjah, the corridor will feature 72 bridges, 17 tunnels, and 45 storm water drainage culverts, carrying a total capacity of 24,000 vehicles per hour across both directions.
The project will be rolled out in two distinct phases by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
Phase one, at a cost of Dhs 3.5 billion, will extend 30km from Al Shanouf Road in Sharjah to the Dubai - Al Ain Road, serving approximately 600,000 residents. It includes 21km of bridges, 2.5km of tunnels, and 55 lane-kilometres of surface roads. The upgrade will expand the Dubai to Al Ain Road from three to four lanes in each direction between Emirates Road and Lehbab Road, while redeveloping four major intersections. Once complete, travel time along this stretch will drop from 35 minutes to 14 minutes.
Phase two will span 50km from the Dubai to Al Ain Road to Al Faya Road in Abu Dhabi, and will feature 157km of bridges, 3.5km of tunnels, and serve an estimated 3.1 million people. Travel times along this route will drop from 50 minutes to 24 minutes.
For commuters travelling between Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi, the highway introduces a vital bypass that diverts heavy commercial freight traffic away from inner-city arterial roads. By creating a direct logistics transit path connecting Al Maktoum International Airport, the Etihad Rail network, and the Al Marmoom and Al Wohoosh desert conservation reserves, the route is set to significantly alleviate congestion on Sheikh Zayed Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, and Emirates Road.