Remraam residents assured traffic woe will end with new road but some have reservations

DUBAI // Remraam residents are sceptical that their traffic misery will end despite the opening of a road that will double the capacity in and out of the community.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority said the new road, due for completion in June, was on schedule but residents in the community continue to complain of traffic congestion in the mornings.

Some said it takes them up to an hour to leave the community, situated just off the E611 road, because there is only a one-lane exit.

“A final design has been recently approved that will double the road capacity from Remraam,” said an RTA spokesman. “The construction is slated to start by the first week of March 2017 and to be completed by June 2017.

“During the construction period, a temporary second lane shall be constructed to facilitate smoother exit for residents.”

Some residents were relieved to learn that construction would start soon but others were sceptical that the road would be ready on schedule.

Mark Wilson, 43, has lived in the community for more than a year and said the congestion was getting worse.

“Dubai Properties, the developer, is releasing more properties, so it’s going to compound the ­issue,” he said.

Mr Wilson said that one of the reasons his wife relocated to the UK was because of the daily morning congestion. “My wife had been with me for more than 10 years in Dubai and recently went back to the UK with my two daughters,” he said.

“One of the issues was traffic and getting the children up at 5.30 in the morning so they can get to school at 7.30. I leave my house at about 6.45am and it takes me at least half an hour to go less than a kilometre.”

David Obey, who has lived in Remraam for four years and in Dubai since 1973, said that there was no reason to wait until March to start addressing the problem when it could easily be resolved by opening up another, existing, exit that leads directly on to Emirates Road.

“All they’ve got to do is open that road and that will relieve congestion immediately,” he said.

“The response I’ve had is that the little road that leads on to Emirates Road is not long enough. There is a service road and all they have to do is paint a longer yellow line. Construction vehicles go in and out, why can’t the residents’ vehicles?

“When I first moved here, that exit was open and then they suddenly closed it.”

Mr Obey said that some impatient motorists were driving recklessly on the opposite side of the road to avoid the traffic.

“They come zooming out on the left-hand side and when they go, it’s not a gentle pace. If a child was running across, they wouldn’t even see it,” he said.

Remraam resident Anna Onuralp, 31, said the RTA statement was being taken with a grain of salt. “I think most residents will be sceptical because the issue has been ongoing for a while now,” she said.

“We want people to respond to our requests and give us the attention we deserve. We have been neglected.”

Dubai Properties had previously said that finding a permanent and effective solution for the congestion was a high priority.

Approvals and permits for the road expansion plan and work have been completed.

“We acknowledge the disruption in the community,” a spokesman said.

“We must ensure that all guidelines of changing the community infrastructure plan are strictly met for long-term benefit.”

dmoukhallati@thenational.ae