Dubai: Commuting on Dubai roads has been further eased with the opening of two major bridges today.
Part of the Garn Al Sabkha-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project, the first is a two-lane bridge, spanning 601 metres with a capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour. It serves the eastward traffic from Garn Al Sabkha Street to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, then northward towards Al Qusais and Deira.
The second is also a two-lane bridge, spanning 664 metres, enabling free traffic flow by eliminating overlapping of traffic coming from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road heading southward towards Al Yalayis Street and Jebel Ali Port. It is designed to accommodate 3,200 vehicles per hour.
All project works are set to be completed this October with the opening of the final bridge, which will connect the intersection of Garn Al Sabkha Street with Al Asayel Street. This bridge spans 943 metres, with two lanes in each direction, and is designed to handle 8,000 vehicles per hour in total. It will ensure seamless traffic flow between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, RTA, announced that the the project had marked a 97 per cent completion rate. “The project was undertaken in response to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai calling for completing the development of road infrastructure to keep pace with the ongoing development of Dubai and accommodate the needs of urban development and population growth.
"The project progress is closely monitored by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.
“The project constitutes a crucial link between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, thus facilitating the traffic flow between Sheikh Zayed Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, First Al Khail Road, and Al Asayel Street. The project entails the construction of four bridges, stretching 2,874 metres in total with a capacity of 17,600 vehicles per hour. Last June, RTA inaugurated a two-lane bridge extending 666 metres with a capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour. It contributed to the smooth movement of vehicles by eliminating the overlapping of traffic from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to the service road leading to the entrances to Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Production City,” noted Al Tayer.
Cutting journey time
“Upon completion, the project will cut the distance and journey time from Garn Al Sabkha Street to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road towards Al Qusais and Deira by 40 per cent, from 20 minutes to 12 minutes during peak hours. It will also reduce the journey time for motorists coming from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road heading rightward to Al Yalayes Street in the direction of Jebel Ali Port by 70 per cent, from 21 minutes to seven minutes,” added Al Tayer.
The project entails road works spanning 7km including improvements to the surface intersections on the service road parallel to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, in addition to streetlights, traffic signals, traffic systems, stormwater drainage networks, and irrigation systems.
Garn Al Sabkha-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project is part of RTA’s master plan to develop strategic east-west traffic corridors and arterial roads, such as the recently completed Al Yalayes Street and Expo Street. These corridors support Dubai’s mobility networks, serve many development projects on both sides, and accommodate current and future traffic volumes.
