Commuters heading into Dubai from Sharjah had some reason to smile on Wednesday morning.
While the daily grind between the two emirates is never easy during morning or evening rush hours, it did ease ever so slightly on Al Ittihad Road.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the journey on the stretch of road which took around an hour to complete last week was completed yesterday in 15 minutes. Phase 1 of the Dh830 million project opened Wednesday, providing more lanes and a new tunnel near the Dubai Police Headquarters.
A new bridge on Airport Road will be completed by mid-July, and an airport tunnel a month later.
The commute between the two cities will never be smooth, even with all these works. But at least motorists can look forward to gradual improvements in the coming months.
Wednesday's opening of Phase 1 was a good start. The Roads and Transport Authority deserve credit for their work.
