Sharjah to Dubai Commute: The Best Alternative Routes After the July 4 RTA Diversions

With a major traffic diversion struck by Roads and Transport Authority Dubai ahead, thousands of commuters trying to trek between Sharjah and Dubai have got to plan their daily travel. The authority temporarily closed Al Aleyas Tunnel from Saturday, the 4th of July 2026, as part of a major upgrade program of Emirates Road infrastructures.

The diversion is expected to be in place for about two months to help the RTA speed up one of its biggest road improvement plans for the summer. Due to the reduced number of school buses in operation and lower road traffic at the summer time, the authority is using the time to finish the much needed summer expansion before the school starts again this September.

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Why Has the RTA Closed Al Aleyas Tunnel?

The temporary closure is part of RTA’s larger ‘Quick Wins’ Summer Programme that involves 28 traffic efficiency schemes throughout Dubai. The goal is to increase road capacity, reduce congestion and easier traffic flow before the busy period of autumn approaches.

The project is to expand a stretch of Emirates Road in Sharjah, spanning 5km from the Sharjah border to Al Amardi Street with two new lanes of traffic. The upgrade will deliver peak hour travel time savings of approximately 25%, to benefit thousands of commuters each day on the corridor.

Which Roads Are Affected?

The most significant will be when Al Aleyas Tunnel, which normally links to Al Amardi Street and Tripoli Street, is fully closed. The tunnel has closed in both directions to motorists, giving up one of the busiest road tunnels in the area.The tunnel has closed to motoring traffic (tangentially) and traffic from one side is blocked as well.

Several loop ramps, also on Emirates Road towards Maleha Street, have been closed, too. Drivers are forced to take alternative routes due to these closures as it impacts commuters moving between the communities in eastern Dubai and the Dubai Central Business District as well as between Sharjah and the eastern Dubai communities.

Best Alternative Routes from Sharjah to Dubai

Traffic on Emirates Road is being prohibited from accessing the closed tunnel and diverted into the main carriageway heading towards Dubai, from Sharjah. Persons driving towards Al Amardi Street or Tripoli Street should do so in accordance with the temporary direction signage set up by the RTA and take the route via the designated surface intersections to their destinations.

If you are commuting towards Maleha Street then you can go on along the course of Emirates Road after reaching the end, you must exit by Al Khawaneej Street or Ras Al Khor Road. These phase-in paths can be up to several kilometres longer but can be used to stay away from fully-closed sections of ramp around the construction site.

Expect Longer Travel Times

RTA has issued a statement urging commuters to expect further delays especially during rush hours in the morning or afternoon on Fridays and Saturdays. In a few places, there are no splitting up and down ramps and the remaining vehicles will be forced back into surface roads resulting in increased pressures on important junctions.

Drivers need to plan for another 15-20 minutes for their usual session, particularly when driving between Dubai’s various business districts and Sharjah during peak hours.

How the Expansion Will Benefit Drivers

The disruption of traffic over the next few weeks will annoy commuters but the long-term impact is likely to be considerable. Emirates road will be doubled to accommodate the vehicles between Dubai & Sharjah with 2 additional lanes.

The larger corridor will also minimize congestion on one of Dubai’s busiest feeder services between emirates, a development that will benefit private vehicle drivers and the commercial transportation sector as well.

RTA’s Wider Summer Improvement Programme

The Emirates Road expansion is just one part of the RTA’s wider road infrastructure, hammered around by extension of summer.The Emirates Road expansion is only a single element of the RTA’s large hitting around by extension of summer road infrastructure. In Dubai, the authority has undertaken 28 distinct improvement projects that it hopes will bring 200 quality enhancements to the key roads, intersections, school sections and traffic hot spots.

The RTA aims to keep disruptions to the minimum level during the summer while the projects ensure that Dubai’s roads are ready for significant ridership boosts when schools reopen and that business picks up after the holidays.

FAQs

Why is “Al Aleyas Tunnel” closed?

The tunnel has now been closed off for the time being to enable the RTA to complete the Emirates Road expansion project in line with the RTA’s Quick Wins Summer Programme (QWP) which seeks to enhance traffic flow prior to September.

For how long will the closure be?

The RTA anticipates that the closure and diversion will stay enforced for about two months but will depend on the construction schedule.

Which streets are impacted by the reroute?

The closure will impact Al Aleyas Tunnel, Al Amardi Street to Tripoli Street and some loop ramps between Emirates Road and Maleha Street.

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