UAE traffic control centre set for 2021

The control centre would ensure better flow of traffic between emirates and improve safety.

The creation of a new control centre will monitor the UAE's 800 kilometre federal road network. Antonie Robertson / The National

ABU DHABI // A new road control centre is being created to monitor the federal road network and support the country’s growth.

Shafia Al Kheyaili, an engineer at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development’s road department, said the centre would ensure better traffic flow between the emirates and improve safety.

“Our 800km federal road network will be developed with new roads: five main roads that connect the north to the south, and three roads from east to west,” she said.

"The road network and the intelligent transport systems (ITS) in the Northern Emirates should be integrated with that of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. We are confident that this will become a reality by 2021."

The central control centre, to be located in the Northern Emirates, is part of the ministry’s master plan to achieve the goals set by the UAE 2021 Vision and Smart Government.

It supports the ministry’s plan to strengthen the federal road network and link the northern and southern regions to eastern and western regions.

Ms Kheyaili, who is also the chief executive of Osool Engineering Consultants in Sharjah, was speaking on the sidelines of the second ITS and Smart Mobility Forum UAE in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

“We need to consider safety management, accident management, traffic management, emergency and disaster management, and the road asset management system,” she said. “Everything will be in one control centre. But we can’t do this alone. We’ll be implementing it in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority.”

The ministry, she said, had yet to identify in which emirate the control centre would be built.

“Safety will be integrated with the intelligent transport systems,” she said. “For instance, there will be variable message signs alerting motorists of road and weather conditions, such as accidents and fog.”

Infrastructure projects, she said, played an important role in driving economic growth and social welfare, by improving mobility between the emirates and cities.

“Our vision is to contribute to the sustainability development of the UAE through a high quality federal road network to support economic growth and contribute to raising prosperity .”

In January, the ministry announced seven key road projects in Sharjah, RAK and Fujairah. These include the development of the Sharjah-Dhaid road, the 14km Al Ittihad Road in RAK, and an extension of Emirates Road from Al Tawaeen to the RAK ring road.

Other projects include the Kalba ring road to Al Hail (phase one), Sham Border ring road and Khor Fakkan western ring road (phase two).

Scott Fennelly, a senior ITS engineer at Transpo Group, was impressed with the ministry’s road development plans.

“Their specialist’s approach to get all the items in is going to come through in the future and will be excellent,” he said. “I’d say that in 2020, you’ll definitely see a lot more connected items within the ITS area due to their master plan.”

Integration of road networks was vital, he said. “A lot of it now is built in isolation,” Mr Fennelly said.

“Once Abu Dhabi and Dubai are well connected to the rest of the emirates, it will allow more opportunities to develop more applications within the ITS area.