While no single route is consistently the fastest, found that taking a longer route could get commuters to Sharjah much sooner than using the more direct road.
Longer Route Proves Fastest from Dubai to Sharjah During Evening Rush
A longer route turned out to be the fastest way to travel from Dubai to Sharjah during the evening rush, with a test by Khaleej Times finding a 37-minute difference between two major routes.
Four motorists left Al Quoz at around 4pm on Wednesday, September 2, and travelled towards Sharjah using different routes: Emirates Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Al Ittihad Road, and the Infinity Bridge–Al Mamzar route.
Emirates Road emerged as the fastest of the three routes for which complete timings were recorded, with the journey to Al Mahatta Museum taking approximately 1 hour and 2 minutes.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road took 1 hour and 40 minutes, while Al Ittihad Road, the shortest of the three routes, took 1 hour and 27 minutes.
The fourth journey, via Infinity Bridge and Al Mamzar, took 1 hour and 20 minutes.
The test highlighted one clear point: during heavy traffic, the shortest route is not necessarily the fastest.
Emirates Road: Longer, But Traffic Kept Moving
Emirates Road added more than 25 kilometres to the journey compared with the shortest route, but traffic remained relatively steady for most of the drive. While the road was busy, there were no prolonged stretches where traffic came to a complete standstill.
As a result, the motorist reached Sharjah 25 minutes earlier than the driver who took Al Ittihad Road. However, Emirates Road may not be the most practical option for everyone.
The route is more useful for commuters heading towards areas such as University City, Hoshi, Al Suyouh and other parts of outer Sharjah. For those travelling to central Sharjah, the additional distance may not always justify the detour.
E311: Traffic Worsened After Mirdif
The motorist travelling on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road encountered some slow-moving traffic around Mirdif. Initially, traffic would slow down before moving again, only to slow at another stretch.
However, after City Centre Mirdif, congestion became significantly heavier. At some points, vehicles were moving at speeds of less than 10km/h.
The journey still took 1 hour and 40 minutes, 13 minutes longer than the Al Ittihad Road trip.
E311 can be a useful option for commuters heading towards Muweilah, the Industrial Areas and some nearby Sharjah neighbourhoods.
Al Ittihad Road: Heavy Traffic for Most of the Way
Al Ittihad Road was the slowest of the three routes tested. Traffic was heavy from around Garhoud Bridge and remained slow for much of the journey towards Sharjah.
The trip to Al Mahatta Museum took about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
For many residents of Al Nahda, Al Taawun, Al Khan, Al Majaz, Abu Shagara and central Sharjah, Al Ittihad Road remains one of the most direct routes home.
That also means large numbers of commuters converge on the same road during the evening peak, contributing to the heavy congestion.
Do Infinity Bridge and Interior Roads Help?
Some motorists try to avoid the main highways by taking alternative routes. Ahmed Suhaim, who regularly travels towards Sharjah, said he usually takes Infinity Bridge and sometimes uses Al Shindagha Tunnel.
He said traffic can be particularly heavy on Infinity Bridge. It usually starts easing near Waterfront Market, but motorists can soon encounter another buildup around Al Mamzar as traffic merges onto roads leading towards Sharjah.
Ashfaq Ahmed also tries alternative routes, including the Airport Tunnel, interior roads in Al Qusais and the route from Sonapur towards E311. However, he said these roads are becoming increasingly congested as well.
“The commute was slightly easier before the summer holidays,” he said. Traffic has become much more difficult in recent days, with ongoing road works in Sharjah also contributing to the congestion.
Daily Trip Can Take More Than Two Hours
For Abbas, the long commute has become part of his daily routine. He usually leaves Al Quoz for Sharjah between 5pm and 6pm.
“The journey now takes at least around 1 hour and 40 minutes. On some days, it can go beyond two hours,” Abbas said.
He said one of the biggest problems is the slow movement of traffic after entering Sharjah. A journey that can take around 25 to 30 minutes when roads are clear can stretch to well over an hour during the evening peak.
The traffic pattern is reversed in the morning, when large numbers of residents travel from Sharjah to Dubai for work.
Google Maps screenshots reviewed by between around 7:30am and 8:10am on Thursday showed long stretches of heavy traffic on roads leading towards Dubai.
For a journey from Al Mahatta Museum to Al Quoz, Google Maps showed travel times ranging from around 1 hour and 11 minutes to 1 hour and 27 minutes, depending on the route. The maps also displayed several crash and incident alerts during the morning rush.
Heavy congestion was visible around Al Khan, Al Mamzar, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah and parts of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
By comparison, Emirates Road showed longer stretches of steadily moving traffic. However, because it is a longer route, whether it saves time ultimately depends on the commuter’s destination.
Two new lanes were recently opened on a 5km stretch of Emirates Road for traffic travelling from Sharjah towards Dubai. The road was widened from six to eight lanes, increasing capacity along the section.
For commuters, there is no single route that will be the fastest every day.
However, during the evening test, the result was clear: taking the longer Emirates Road route allowed the motorist to reach Sharjah significantly earlier than using the more direct Al Ittihad Road.
