DUBAI A long-time demand by pedestrians for a footbridge on a busy Dubai street is being met finally after construction began last fortnight.
Many who have to negotiate rush hour traffic on Amman Street in Al Nadha say the bridge will put an end to their daily woes. “It was long overdue,” said Filipino executive secretary Rachel, 32, who like thousands of others use Dubai’s public transport to work and back after crossing over by foot from the neighbouring Al Nahda district in Sharjah. “Getting into Dubai (from Sharjah) has never been a problem, except for the little sandy patch but it’s actually crossing from one side of Amman Street to the other inside Dubai that poses a serious threat to life,” she said.
Running close to the Dubai-Sharjah border, Amman Street (D97 officially), links Al Nahda Street with Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road snaking through Dubai’s Al Qusais industrial areas before intersecting Al Nahda 1 and Al Nahda 2 in Dubai.
Pedestrians say the long road takes the shape of a killer curve along Al Nahda 2 in front of RTA’s Quick Registration centre making crossing roads a deadly affair. Yet it remains a popular spot (see illustration) for pedestrians - most of who come from Sharjah – to cross the busy street dotted by restaurants, supermarkets and a host of shops.
Killer road
“We have seen too many accidents over the years at this spot. Earlier this year there was a big collision of cars after one speeding vehicle swerved suddenly in order to avoid hitting a group of pedestrians coming from a Friday prayer from the nearby mosque,” recalled Indian Ankit Tiwari, who lives in a building overseeing Amman street in Al Nahda 2.
“The bridge is coming up just at the right spot. I am glad our plea has finally been heard. All these years, we have been risking our lives on way to work and back,” said Victor, a Nigerian fitness coach who, like Rachel, lives in Sharjah but works in Dubai. “Accidents are a regular fixture on this stretch and most are near fatal but what do we do? Until work on the bridge started, there was no pedestrian crossing for almost two kilometres,” he added.
A comment from the RTA on the official opening of the bridge was not immediately available. However a worker at the site told XPRESS it may be ready in about two months.
