Latest news with #Abdullah Lootah
The National
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The National
Dubai to complete Emirates Road repair project for busy first school day
Dubai has harnessed laser technology to identify cracks and potholes for a major repair programme on one of the country's busiest motorways to help ensure smooth travel on the first day back at school. The Roads and Transport Authority is in the final stages of extensive rehabilitation work on Emirates Road, with work to be completed by the time more than one million pupils return to classrooms on Monday, August 25. RTA teams pinpointed a 14km stretch of road that was in need of essential repairs to boost safety and improve traffic flow. 'The laser beam technology helps to identify road defects to improve the transport network and safety,' said Abdullah Lootah, director of roads and facilities maintenance at RTA. 'The data showed defects in this stretch due to large traffic especially from lorries. The repairs in two directions towards Abu Dhabi and Sharjah,' he added. 'Major highways connecting different emirates needs more repairs than the interior roads due to lorries movement.' The cutting-edge technology, first unveiled in 2023, is able to detect cracks as small as 1mm through the use of high-resolution cameras and laser scanning capabilities. Data gathered during road tours is analysed and used to help guide maintenance and repair schedules, ensuring roads that are most in need of work are attended to first. Mr Lootah said the lifespan of roads can be between 20 to 25 years. The authority rehabilitation plan involved adding two to four layers of asphalt in the fast and slow lanes. The laser patrol works by scanning the road surface and instantly detecting cracks. Without human interaction, the system's AI algorithms process the captured data in real time, analysing various parameters, such as crack width, depth and location. It then generates comprehensive reports for RTA engineers, enabling them to prioritise and plan repairs or resurfacing projects. By detecting and addressing these cracks at an early stage, the RTA aims to extend the lifespan of the road infrastructure and reduce maintenance costs. The authority launched the project during the summer season to limit the disruption caused by roadworks. 'Major work such as laying the asphalt was done on weekends. The full repair will finish on August 25 and the road will be ready for commuters with the beginning of the new academic year,' Mr Lootah added. First day back at school – in pictures Authorities across the Emirates will put traffic calming measures around schools to prepare for the start of the academic year. Motorists can also have four black points cleared from their licence if they avoid accidents and abide by traffic rules on August 25, under the annual Accident-Free Day campaign. Emirates Road improvement plan Emirates Road, known as the E611, stretches 110km and is a key alternative route to Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road for drivers in Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Sharjah. It allows motorists to travel to Abu Dhabi without having to go through central Dubai. The Emirates Road development project, being led by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure separately to the RTA work, will increase the number of lanes from three to five on a 25km stretch linking Al Badee Interchange in Sharjah to Umm Al Quwain. The move will boost the capacity of the route to 9,000 vehicles an hour, an increase of 65 per cent. The scheme will also include an upgrade of Interchange No 7 on Emirates Road, through the construction of six bridges to serve a combined 13,200 vehicles an hour. Work on the project is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to take two years.
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
How Dubai uses AI-powered vehicles to keep its roads smooth and pothole-free
Dubai is taking road maintenance to the next level by using AI-powered, laser-equipped vehicles to keep its roads among the smoothest in the world. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recently took the Khaleej Times team to Emirates Road, where a 14-kilometre reconstruction project is nearing completion. The visit provided a first-hand look at how advanced inspection vehicles identify problems and how the road is dug out, re-layered, and resurfaced to meet the city's world-class quality standards. 'Our goal is to ensure Dubai's roads remain safe, smooth, and free of defects. We use advanced inspection technology to detect issues early, and we act immediately to prevent them from worsening,' said Abdullah Lootah, director of Road and Facilities Maintenance at the Traffic and Roads Agency. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. The RTA uses two special types of vehicles for inspections. The first, known as the laser crack measurement system (LCMS) vehicle, is fitted with cameras, lasers, and infrared sensors that detect cracks, potholes, and 14 other types of asphalt defects. 'If the Pavement Quality Index (PQI) drops to 80 per cent or even lower in a section, we start repair work. Our target is to keep all roads at 90 per cent or higher,' said Lootah. The second vehicle, which is mounted with 12 lasers and four specialised cameras, measures the road's smoothness using the International Roughness Index (IRI). IRI is a global standard for road quality. Dubai's IRI reading stands at 0.9, which indicates an exceptionally smooth surface. 'This technology allows us to detect not just visible damage but also subtle changes in the road's surface quality,' added Lootah. RTA officials said that these instruments record data for every single metre of the road. 'We don't just check one lane, we drive the inspection vehicle on every lane along the stretch to identify defects. Our engineers then analyse the data through our systems and decide what type of repair is required,' said Lootah. Once the road is repaired, the IRI vehicle is driven over it to measure smoothness. 'If the readings don't meet Dubai's standards, we repair it further until it matches our quality requirements,' said Lootah. The rehabilitation and maintenance of the part of Emirates Road, which began two months ago and is being completed in stages, ensures to keep traffic moving. 'Every 48 to 56 hours, we finish one leg of the reconstruction, covering about 400 to 500 metres of road. This ensures we minimise inconvenience to drivers while still doing a complete, high-quality job,' said Lootah. In the fast lanes, 14 centimetres of the old surface was removed and replaced with three to four new layers of asphalt for maximum durability. The slower lanes, which bear less load, were dug out to a depth of about eight centimetres and resurfaced with fewer layers. 'This section of Emirates Road had dropped to around 85 per cent PQI, mainly because of heavy truck traffic. That's why reconstruction was necessary. Both sides, towards Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, will be fully open by August 25, ensuring smooth traffic flow,' said Lootah. He added that these inspections not only improve road safety but also save time and resources. 'By using these vehicles mounted with specialised equipment, we can identify the exact sections that need work, rather than resurfacing entire roads unnecessarily. This makes the process faster, more cost-efficient, and environmentally friendly,' he said. The RTA plans to continue using these vehicles year-round to monitor Dubai's road network. 'This approach means we can detect a problem at an early stage and address it before it becomes a hazard to road users. That's how we keep Dubai's roads among the best in the world,' said Lootah.
