Dubai: The newly expanded Umm Suqeim Road has been equipped with three pedestrian bridges to improve safety on the expressway.
The bridges, equipped with elevators, have come as a relief for the residents and workers along the 2.5km stretch.
“The pedestrian crossings were much needed on Umm Suqeim road, more so after the road was converted into an expressway. These bridges will definitely help improve safety of pedestrians, as crossing on this busy road earlier was a dangerous affair,” said Vinod Bhatia, an accountant, who works in a mechanical equipment firm located on Umm Suqeim Road.
Located at key points on the road, the crossings built by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), serve the entire stretch from the end of Al Khail Road to Shaikh Zayed Road.
And given the relocation of residents to new neighbourhoods in the Al Barsha area along Umm Suqeim road, the bridges are being put in place at the right time.
“The project is intended to improve motorists’ experience on [the] road as well as improve safety of pedestrians; building pedestrian crossings at key locations is on top of our agenda to enhance road safety in Dubai,” said Eng. Maitha Bin Adai, CEO of RTA’s Traffic and Road Agency.
The crossings are part of a Dh16 million expansion project on Umm Suqeim road, which opened for traffic earlier this year.
Finishing touches are still being made to the service roads, sidewalks and parking areas on the road.
“The entire project has come as a great boon for the neighbourhoods on either side. People from Al Barsha as well as Al Quoz, who use this road to access their areas, have benefitted from the expansion, which ease traffic flow and improved pedestrian safety,” said a resident of Al Barsha.
The road work is part of the expanding network of the Parallel Roads project that will help residents of Al Barsha, Al Khail and Al Quoz move faster.
The pedestrian crossings on Umm Suqeim Road are one of the 31 footbridges that RTA intends to build over the next five years.
The RTA plans to have at least 105 footbridges in Dubai by 2016, up from the existing 87.
Pedestrian bridges were recently opened on Emirates Road, in Al Mina, Shaikh Rashid Road, Al Wuhaidah, Amman Road, Latifa Bint Hamdan Street, Abu Baker Al Siddique street and Al Khaleej road.
