Explained: The Dubai roads that will see traffic cut under RTA’s key upgrades

Dubai: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has reviewed progress on several of the emirate’s most ambitious road infrastructure projects.

During a visit to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) on Sunday, Sheikh Hamdan was briefed on key upgrades forming part of the RTA’s 2025–2027 Strategic Plan, which includes 57 initiatives covering 226 km of roads and 115 bridges and tunnels. These projects aim to enhance traffic flow, boost road capacity, and support a projected population of 8 million by 2040.

The highlight of the plan is the development of 11 strategic road corridors, including eight vertical and three new routes. Here is a breakdown of the most prominent roads being upgraded:

Umm Suqeim–Al Qudra Corridor

Scope: 16 km corridor from Jumeirah Street to Emirates Road

Current status: Phase 1 (Umm Suqeim Street to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road) is 50% complete

Infrastructure: 7km of bridges and tunnels across four upgraded junctions

Capacity: To be increased from 8,400 to 12,600 vehicles per hour

Travel time: To be cut from 46 minutes to 11 minutes

Serves: More than 1 million residents

Hessa Street

Scope: Enhancement of four key intersections

Current status: Approx. 60% complete, with parts already open to traffic

Infrastructure: 9km of bridges

Capacity: To be doubled from 4,000 to 8,000 vehicles per hour

Travel time: To cut from 30 minutes to 7 minutes

Serves: Around 640,000 residents

Added feature: A 13.5-km cycling and e-scooter track with two architecturally distinctive bridges crossing Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road, featuring designated lanes for riders and pedestrians

Al Fay Road Corridor

Route: Extension of Al Khail Road from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to Emirates Road via Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street

Infrastructure: 12.9km of road and 13.5km of bridges across five major intersections

Capacity: To support additional 64,400 vehicles per hour

To serve: 600,000 residents when complete

Sheikh Zayed Road

Current use: Serves around 2.5 million people daily

Improvements: Seven quick-win traffic solutions deployed between January and April 2025

Impact: 5–10% reduction in congestion

9% decrease in traffic volumes after dynamic tolling

4% increase in public transport ridership

Dynamic parking tariffs led to a 2.3% drop in vehicle use and a 1% rise in public transport usage

Other corridors under development:

Latifa bint Hamdan Street (from Al Khail Road to Emirates Road)

Al Meydan Street

Al Mustaqbal Street

Dubai World Trade Centre roundabout