Dubai Municipality is finalising studies to replace bridge No. 4 on Sheikh Zayed Road with a cloverleaf that allows unhindered flow of traffic. Construction is expected to start in March 2002 and will be complete in 14 months, said Sami Abdullah Al Hashimi, Head of the Roads Planning Section.

The bridge is near the Police Academy interchange. Al Hashimi said: "When the bridges were constructed, the adjacent buildings were eight to 10 storeys high. But today, 40 to 50-storey buildings have sprouted. This is a sign of the rapid development witnessed in Dubai, but traffic has also increased. Hence, the need to expand the bridges."

The move is part of plans to replace all eight bridges on Sheikh Zayed Road at a cost of Dh480 million. New bridges will be in place by 2007.

"The municipality has started studying transportation and designs of bridges and interchanges on Sheikh Zayed Road. They will have to be redesigned to cope with the changed situation.

"A new bridge at Al Safa has been constructed. The construction of the new bridge near the Police Academy is also part of a project to build a new souq called Al Nakheel market. There will be a further increase in traffic when the market comes up, and we decided to replace the bridge and meet the demand."

Al Hashimi said the municipality has done a survey on the number of vehicles using this road.

"The new bridge will smoothen traffic flow, but traffic lights will not be installed. There will be an exit way which will lead to Al Nakheel Market." The roundabout in the same area, between Al Wasl and Umm Suqeim, will be replaced with an interchange controlled by traffic lights.