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Dubai: The closure of the old Al Garhoud Bridge triggered major traffic snarl-ups across the city on Sunday, with many office-goers saying they were late for work and missed crucial appointments.
According to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the old bridge will be demolished. The RTA announced that it would close part of the road and bridge leading towards the Al Garhoud Bridge from Casablanca Road and Al Rebat Road on Friday.
Almost all Dubai roads were congested yesterday morning due to the start of the working week. However, what added to the agony of motorists was the closure of the bridge. According to Dubai Police's Command and Control Room, traffic jams continued until yesterday afternoon on almost all Dubai roads.
Many main roads such as the Dubai Bypass Road and Al Khail Road were jam-packed. Motorists said they were caught by surprise with new diversions on the Al Quds road in Deira which already has roadworks going on.
A motorist who got stuck in the morning traffic, said: "I take the Business Bay Bridge daily to work in Jebel Ali, but today even the Business Bay Bridge was congested because of the diverted traffic going toward Al Garhoud Bridge. It took me an hour-and-a half to get onto Shaikh Zayed Road alone."
Another motorist coming from Ajman, said he left home at 6.30am and was stuck in the traffic for at least an hour-and-a-half.
"The old Al Garhoud Bridge was closed so I had to take the new one to get to the office," he said.
One frustrated motorist said she missed an important office appointment because of the traffic, although she left home early. "I am furious because it is not the first time I have missed an appointment. Traffic situations are becoming worse and every day there is a new surprise which is a new diversion or closure," she said.
A motorist and mother-of-two, said her sons were late for school, as she was stuck in traffic jams for an hour, although the trip to her sons' school usually takes her 20 minutes.
"My sons were late by 15 minutes and I had to go in with them to speak with the school's administration, as they are being very strict about timings," she said.
Another motorist and a college student said she missed a lecture which started at 8am.
"I left home at 7.15am, but I did not expect that much traffic, especially on the interchange that takes me to my college. There was an unusual number of cars on the interchange. I missed my morning lecture and have been marked as absent," she said.
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