Watch: 40-70 per cent cut in travel time on key Dubai roads

Dubai: The completion of a major roads project in Dubai is set to cut down the commute time by 40 per cent for traffic heading from Garn Al Sabkha Street to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road towards Al Qusais and Deira, slashing the peak hour journey from 20 minutes to just 12 minutes.

As the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) on Sunday announced the completion of 75 per cent of the Intersection of Garn Al Sabkha-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Roads Improvement Project, it said when complete, it will also cut the journey time by 70 per cent (from 21 minutes to seven minutes) for traffic going from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (rightward) to Al Yalayis Street in the direction of Jebel Ali Port.

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The project involves the construction of four bridges that span 2,874 metres, designed to handle a traffic capacity of 17,600 vehicles per hour.

Second quarter

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, RTA, said: “The project is part of a plan to upgrade Garn Al Sabkha Street, a crucial project linking Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. It aims to ensure seamless traffic flow between Sheikh Zayed Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, First Al Khail Road and Al Asayel Street.”

He said the contractor has completed the construction of the foundations and columns of the bridges and is currently working on casting the bridge walls, installing iron supports, expanding the roads, lighting works, rainwater drainage networks and the necessary traffic diversions to complete the bridge construction works. One of the main bridges is expected to be completed by the second quarter of this year.

Which are the four bridges?

Giving details of the four bridges, he said the first spans 943 metres at the intersection of Garn Al Sabkha Street and Al Asayel Street. This two-lane bridge in each direction will accommodate 8,000 vehicles per hour in both directions and facilitates the traffic flow between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

“The second bridge, extending 601 metres, consists of two lanes, and serves traffic moving from Garn Al Sabkha Street East in the direction of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, and North in the direction of Al Qusais and Deira. This bridge has a capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour,” he said.

The third is a two-lane bridge stretching 664 metres aimed to ensure smooth traffic flow by eliminating the overlapping traffic from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road heading North to Al Yalayis Street in the direction of Jebel Ali Port. This bridge can accommodate approximately 3,200 vehicles per hour. The fourth bridge, which spans 666 metres and consists of two lanes, helps ensure a smooth traffic flow by eliminating the overlapping of traffic from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to the service road leading to the entrances of Dubai Production City. This bridge has a capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour. he added.

7km road works

The project includes road works over 7km, the enhancement of surface intersections on the service road parallel to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, as well as street lighting, traffic signs, traffic systems, rainwater drainage system and irrigation network.

Garn Al Sabkha - Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Roads Intersection Improvement Project complements RTA’s Master Plan to upgrade strategic road networks and arterial east-west routes such as Al Yalayis Street and Expo Road accomplished a few years back.

The project has been undertaken in response to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, to enhance the road network infrastructure in Dubai to cope with the ongoing urban and population growth of Dubai, with the follow-up of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council.