Dubai's high-profile Sheikh Zayed Road will be lined with Conocarpus trees that will act as windbreakers stopping sand encroachment on the road.

More than 5,000 of them will be planted on both sides up to the Abu Dhabi border on the highway that runs through Dubai city. This will also beautify the road and reduce the carbon footprint.

The work involves planting two tree lines and bushes on either side of Sheikh Zayed Road for a length of up to 12km.

The project is part of Dubai Municipality's Dh14 million greening plan that will also see the planting of more than 17,100 shrubs alongside the trees. There will be 22km of irrigation main lines and 28km of lateral lines, water pumps and tanks to support the green line.

The project, taking shape in phases, is expected to be ready by early September.

The major traffic artery is already lined with greenery for a good part of its stretch.

The new landscaping project, which will include beautifying interchanges, will extend the greenery all the way to the road's end at the Abu Dhabi border, said Taleb Julfar, Director, Drainage and Irrigation Department, Dubai Municipality.

The wall of trees and bushes block sand from encroaching on the roads, which can be a safety risk for motorists, Julfar said.

Dubai city is surrounded by sand which blows onto the roads, especially during sandstorms which can dump a significant amount of sand, worsening driving conditions on the roads.

He added the greenery will also help reduce the impact of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, a pollutant from cars and industries that is widely blamed for contributing to global warming.

Work is ongoing between Interchanges 5 and 7, with soil and flowers slated to cover an area of 20 hectares.
Source: Gulf News