Dubai: Diversion work for the construction of flyovers on Al Wasl Road and Jumeirah Beach Road will begin soon, even as work on all three phases of the Dubai Canal project is ongoing.
A senior Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official told Gulf News that the layout for the diversion is being worked out currently and construction work will begin shortly following the completion of diversion work on Shaikh Zayed Road.
“We will make sure there is no disturbance to the flow of traffic. Our engineers are working on the layout to create diversions that will keep the same number of lanes that are currently available on both the roads,” said the official.
The Dh2 billion project was launched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in October 2013 and has been divided into three phases, each contracted to a different company for the work to progress simultaneously.
Work on the Dh580 million phase one, contracted to Turkish firms Mapa and Gunal, began in November. Phase one involves tracking and diverting underground utility lines as well as the construction of a 16-lane flyover on Shaikh Zayed Road under which the canal will flow.
A massive traffic diversion is currently being worked on at Shaikh Zayed Road to make way for the construction of the flyovers on the busy highway.
The one-kilometre-long diversion from Business Bay Metro station to Interchange Two heading towards Abu Dhabi will be ready by the end of October.
The Dh384 million phase 2, being undertaken by China State Corporation, involves the construction of six-lane bridges each on Al Wasl and Jumeirah Roads.
The bridges along with the Shaikh Zayed Road flyover will rise eight metres to allow for the navigation of vessels in the canal round the clock.
The Dh802 million contract for the third phase of the Dubai Canal project was awarded to Belhasa Six Construct Co in May this year.
Phase three involves digging the canal to link Dubai Creek with the Arabian Gulf extending from Shaikh Zayed Road, passing across Safa Park and Jumeirah 2 and terminating at the Arabian Gulf near the southern end of Jumeirah Beach Park.
The RTA has promised that the flow of traffic on all three roads where construction is taking place will not be impacted and the number of lanes will be kept the same.
Set to be ready by September 2016, the three-kilometre canal will convert the Bur Dubai side of the city (which is separated by Dubai Creek) into an island.
The mega project will transform the Safa Park area into an entertainment and leisure hub with malls, hotels, restaurants, walkways, pedestrian and traffic bridges, and marine transport and leisure facilities.
