Sharjah’s New Road Projects: Faster Links, Smarter Tunnels

Sharjah is entering a new chapter of road infrastructure development, and this time, the focus is clear: smoother movement, stronger connections with Dubai, and new landmark destinations that reshape how residents, commuters, and visitors experience the city.

His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, recently revealed key details of a major infrastructure programme during “Direct Line,” announcing new road links, tunnels, bridges, and destination projects designed to ease daily traffic pressure and open new routes between Sharjah and Dubai. The wider road development programme is valued at Dh750 million and includes the Al Taawun Tunnel, Noor Road, improved access to major highways, and direct links to Expo Centre Sharjah.

For thousands of people who move between Sharjah and Dubai every day, these projects are not just roadworks. They are part of a long-term solution to one of the UAE’s busiest commuter corridors.

A New Phase for Sharjah’s Road Network

Sharjah’s growth has made its road network busier than ever, especially around Al Taawun Street, Al Nahda Bridge, Al Orooba Street, and key routes connecting the emirate with Dubai.

The newly announced projects aim to ease congestion through smarter traffic flow, new tunnels, bridges, road diversions, and improved access to Expo Centre Sharjah, Emirates Road, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

This level of infrastructure work requires deep excavation, tunnelling, bridge construction, road realignment, paving, and continuous traffic management,  supported by experienced contractors and reliable heavy machinery.

Al Marwan Construct and Al Marwan Machinery are part of this development movement, supporting Sharjah’s infrastructure growth with construction expertise and heavy equipment solutions for demanding road and urban projects.

1. Al Taawun Tunnel: Taking Traffic Underground

The Al Taawun Tunnel is the centrepiece of Sharjah’s new road programme, designed to create a direct underground link towards Dubai through Al Nahda Bridge. With dual routes for inbound and outbound traffic, the tunnel will help reduce pressure on Al Taawun Roundabout and improve traffic flow between Sharjah and Dubai.

Construction has already started, with traffic diversions introduced from June 13, 2026. Works of this scale require careful coordination, including excavation, shoring, utility protection, concrete works, lifting, road reinstatement, and paving. Heavy machinery such as excavators for sale, wheel loaders, dump trucks, compactors, cranes, and asphalt pavers plays a key role in keeping the project moving safely and efficiently.

2. Noor Road: A New Route from Al Orooba to Dubai

Noor Road is another major connection planned from Al Orooba Street towards Dubai through Al Nahda Bridge. The route will provide an additional entry and exit point between Sharjah and Dubai, helping distribute traffic away from congested roads.

The road is expected to include a suspended bridge passing by six new mosques and is scheduled to open by the end of 2026. From foundations and bridge structures to grading, compaction, and asphalt paving, the project depends on a full range of construction machinery to turn the new route into a working road.

3. Better Links to Main Roads and Expo Centre Sharjah

The Al Taawun Tunnel will also support better connections to Emirates Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, giving motorists smoother access to major UAE corridors.

The project will improve access to Expo Centre Sharjah, with directional signs guiding visitors to the venue and its parking areas. This is especially important during major exhibitions and events, where easier access can reduce congestion and improve the full visitor journey.

4. Al Khan Lagoon Island: A New Waterfront Destination

HH Sheikh Dr Sultan also revealed plans for Al Khan Lagoon Island, a new destination featuring restaurants, retail shops, and a theatre. Access to the island will be through an underwater tunnel leading to a major car parking facility in Sharjah city.

Unlike the road-focused projects, Al Khan Lagoon Island combines infrastructure with tourism, leisure, and waterfront development. Building an underwater tunnel requires precise engineering, including excavation support, waterproofing, drainage, concrete works, and long-term protection against water pressure and corrosion. Reliable heavy machinery will be essential to deliver this type of complex urban and marine project.

Why Heavy Machinery Matters in Projects Like These

Behind every tunnel, bridge, road, and underpass is a fleet of machines working in stages. Before the public sees the finished road, construction teams are already handling deep excavation, soil movement, foundation works, lifting, compaction, grading, paving, and finishing.

For Sharjah’s latest infrastructure projects, machines such as crawler excavators, long boom excavators, wheel loaders, articulated dump trucks, bulldozers, crawler cranes, compactors, and asphalt pavers all have potential roles depending on the construction phase.

Al Marwan Machinery supports major contractors with heavy construction equipment for sale and heavy machinery rental fleet across the UAE, while Al Marwan Construct brings decades of experience in infrastructure execution. Together, they contribute to the kind of projects that require both technical planning and dependable on-site performance.

From road rollers compacting new layers to cranes supporting bridge components and excavators working around utilities, every machine helps turn Sharjah’s vision into built infrastructure.

Al Marwan’s Contribution to Sharjah’s Infrastructure Growth

Al Marwan’s role in Sharjah’s development goes beyond supplying machinery. Over the years, Al Marwan Construct and Al Marwan Machinery have supported some of the emirate’s key infrastructure works, from roads and bridges to drainage networks, marine developments, and public destinations.

Previous contributions include the King Abdulaziz Road upgrade, where Al Marwan Construct was selected as the main contractor for works that included two underpasses, a double-deck bridge, and a 550-metre viaduct. Al Marwan also supported the Al Layyah Canal and Bridges project, a major waterfront development connecting Khalid Lagoon to the Arabian Gulf through an 850-metre canal and two bridges.

More recently, Al Marwan Construct has been part of Sharjah’s Stormwater and Groundwater Main Line Project, a major underground infrastructure scheme designed to improve drainage efficiency across 3,912 hectares. Al Marwan Machinery has also powered works at Al Dhaid Lake with a large fleet of excavators, articulated dump trucks, wheel loaders, and other heavy equipment.

These projects reflect Al Marwan’s long-standing contribution to Sharjah’s growth: building the roads people drive on, shaping the waterways that define the city, supporting hidden infrastructure below ground, and providing the heavy machinery needed to keep complex projects moving safely and efficiently.

FAQ

What are the new road projects announced in Sharjah?

The main projects include the Al Taawun Tunnel, Noor Road from Al Orooba Street to Dubai via Al Nahda Bridge, improved connections to major highways, better access to Expo Centre Sharjah, and the Al Khan Lagoon Island project with an underwater tunnel.

How much is the Sharjah road development programme worth?

The wider road development programme announced by HH Sheikh Dr Sultan is valued at Dh750 million.

When did construction diversions begin for Al Taawun Tunnel?

Traffic diversions linked to the Al Taawun Tunnel project began on June 13, 2026.

When will Noor Road open?

Noor Road is scheduled to open by the end of 2026.

What machinery is used in tunnel and road construction?

Projects like these may require excavators, bulldozers, dump trucks, wheel loaders, crawler cranes, compactors, graders, asphalt pavers, and other heavy construction equipment depending on the project stage.