The works will see Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E311) extended by 62km from Dubai to Al Sweihan Road (E20) in the capital, through the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi.

The extension will serve as an alternate route for vehicles travelling between the two cities.
At present, any obstruction in the road, such as a crash or roadworks between Dubai and Abu Dhabi causes lengthy delays for motorists, and force traffic to a standstill for miles.

Abu Dhabi General Services, known as Musanada, expects the extension will take 30 months to build, and will be finished by 2017.

Contracts for the work were awarded to Ghantoot Transport, Tristar Engineering and Abu Dhabi Salini Costruttori.

An estimated 700 vehicles an hour use the E311 during peak hours, which is expected to rise to 12,000 by 2030.