Watch: RTA’s Dh798m Al Qudra Road project to cut travel time from 9.4 to 2.8 minutes

Dubai: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a Dh798 million contract for the Al Qudra Street Development Project, aimed at enhancing road infrastructure and reducing travel time around several key communities.

The project will improve traffic flow and reduce travel time from 9.4 minutes to just 2.8 minutes on Al Qudra Street.

The upgrades will benefit approximately 400,000 residents and visitors, particularly in community areas such as Arabian Ranches, Damac Hills, and Town Square, RTA revealed on Sunday.

The project extends from the intersection of Al Qudra Street with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, continuing through Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street, and reaching Emirates Road. It encompasses the development of several interchanges, the construction of bridges totalling 2.7km and the expansion of the existing street by 11.6km, the authority said.

Strategic corridor

Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) stated:

“Al Qudra Street Development Project is one of the major projects undertaken by RTA to enhance the vertical (East-West) road network. It extends from the intersection of Al Qudra Street with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, passing through Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street, and continues up to Emirates Road. It serves several key development areas, including Arabian Ranches 1 and 2, Dubai Motor City, Dubai Studio City, Akoya, Mudon, DAMAC Hills, and The Sustainable City.

“This project will enhance road capacity and optimise traffic flow at key strategic intersections, alleviating congestion and reducing travel times between different areas. It will also facilitate seamless traffic movement on Al Qudra Street towards Emirates Road, providing direct connectivity to Al Qudra City and vice versa. Additionally, the project will enhance road safety standards while supporting urban growth and stimulating economic activity in the surrounding areas.”

Bridges to cut waiting time

Al Tayer added: “The project involves enhancing the intersection of Al Qudra Street with the connecting road between Arabian Ranches and Dubai Studio City. This will be achieved through the construction of a 600-metre bridge on Al Qudra Street, featuring four lanes in each direction. This enhancement is designed to improve traffic flow on both Al Qudra Street and the connecting road, increasing the street’s capacity from 6,600 vehicles per hour to 19,200 vehicles per hour. Moreover, it will reduce waiting time at the intersection from 113 seconds to 52 seconds, significantly improving overall traffic efficiency.”

Al Tayer elaborated on the project scope, stating: “The project also includes upgrading the intersection of Al Qudra Street with Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street by constructing a 700-metre bridge with seven lanes in both directions. The upgrade includes auxiliary lanes for side ramps with two lanes each, ensuring smooth transitions in all directions without disrupting the mainstream traffic flow.

“Furthermore, the project entails the construction of a 500-metre bridge to facilitate traffic flow from Al Qudra Street to Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street towards Jebel Ali. A 900-metre bridge will also be built to serve traffic heading from Al Qudra Street to Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street in the direction of Downtown Dubai and Dubai International Airport.”

“The project also includes the construction of service roads on both sides of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street, spanning three kilometres, to enhance connectivity with surrounding development projects. Upgrading the intersection will increase the street’s capacity from 7,800 vehicles per hour to 19,400 vehicles per hour, reducing the waiting time at the second intersection from 393 seconds to 60 seconds.”

Mira, Damac Hills 2

Al Tayer further explained: “The project involves extending Al Qudra Street from the intersection with Emirates Road to the roundabout, serving key development areas such as Town Square, Mira, and DAMAC Hills 2. This includes expanding lanes in both directions along 3.4km of Al Qudra Street, from the Emirates Road intersection to the existing roundabout in the developers’ area, thereby enhancing connectivity and traffic flow in these growing communities.”

“In a subsequent phase, a new road will be constructed in the southern part of the developers’ area, extending 4.8 km to connect with Emirates Road. This enhancement aims to improve access to and from the development areas. The project also involves expanding the number of lanes on both sides of the Emirates Road over a 4.8km stretch, thereby enhancing connectivity with the surrounding development projects.”