Dubai's RTA opens two new bridges to ease traffic across Al Asayel and Oud Maitha Streets

Dubai: Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) on Friday opened two new bridges as part of the broader Oud Maitha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project, which is a key component of the larger Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development initiative. The move marks a significant milestone in the emirate's long-term urban mobility strategy, directly benefiting hundreds of thousands of residents in some of Dubai's most densely populated and rapidly growing neighbourhoods.

The first of the two newly opened structures sits at the intersection of Oud Maitha Street, Al Asayel Street, and Al Wasl Club Street. Built with two lanes and a design capacity of around 2,400 vehicles per hour, it channels traffic flowing from Al Asayel Street toward Al Wasl Club Street, a movement that previously contributed to significant congestion at one of the area's most problematic junctions.

The second bridge is positioned at the intersection of Al Wasl Club Street and Al Khail Road. Carrying two lanes with a throughput of approximately 3,000 vehicles per hour, it redirects traffic from Al Asayel Street onto Al Khail Road toward Business Bay Crossing. Together, the two structures are designed to streamline movement across a corridor that links several of Dubai's key residential and commercial zones.

RTA confirmed that 72 per cent of the overall project has now been completed, with tunnel construction reaching the 70 per cent mark. The tunnel will ultimately serve traffic travelling from Dubai–Al Ain Road toward the Oud Maitha service road. Remaining road expansions and bridge structures are on track to be handed over in the third quarter of 2026.

At full completion, the project will span 4.3 kilometres of bridges and tunnels alongside 14 kilometres of roads, incorporating upgrades to four major intersections across the corridor. It is one of the most comprehensive road development programmes currently under way in Dubai.

The numbers behind the project are striking. Oud Maitha Street's vehicle capacity will grow from 10,400 to 15,600 vehicles per hour in both directions, a 50% increase. More notably for daily commuters, average travel times through the corridor are projected to fall from 20 minutes to just five, representing a 75% reduction that will be felt immediately by drivers navigating this part of the city.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said the development was being delivered under directives from the UAE's leadership to support Dubai's continued urban and population expansion. He described the project as one of the most strategically important road investments currently in progress, given the density of key destinations it serves.

The project directly serves several established and emerging residential communities, including Za'abeel, Al Jaddaf, Oud Maitha, and Umm Hurair. Major landmarks in the zone, among them Latifa Hospital and Al Wasl Club will also see improved access. The wider area is forecast to be home to more than 420,000 residents by 2030, making the infrastructure upgrades not just a response to current demand, but a forward-looking investment in the city's growth.

Improvements to Al Wasl Club's road access form part of the project scope, with new service roads, parking facilities, and reconfigured entrance and exit points all included to resolve existing traffic overlap with the main road network.

Beyond the two opened bridges, the project involves comprehensive upgrades to four key intersections across the corridor.

At the junction of Oud Maitha Street and Sheikh Rashid Street, a dedicated left-turn slip lane is being added for traffic heading toward Al Garhoud Bridge, raising capacity at that point to 1,800 vehicles per hour. The number of right-turn lanes from Sheikh Rashid Street onto Oud Maitha Street is also being increased from two to three, pushing capacity to 4,000 vehicles per hour.

At the fourth intersection where Za'abeel Palace Street meets Al Khail Road and Oud Maitha Street, an extra lane is being added to the left-turn ramp from Al Khail Road toward Dubai–Al Ain Road, doubling capacity from 900 to 1,800 vehicles per hour. A single-lane tunnel with a capacity of 1,200 vehicles per hour will also be built here to route traffic from Dubai–Al Ain Road toward Al Wasl Club Street. An existing bridge at this intersection is also being widened from two lanes to three, increasing its throughput from 2,200 to 3,300 vehicles per hour.

The Oud Maitha and Al Asayel project sits within the wider Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development, which reflects Dubai's ongoing commitment to building infrastructure ahead of demand rather than in response to it. With the city's population continuing to climb and new districts coming online across the emirate, the RTA's investment in expanding arterial road capacity is central to keeping Dubai moving efficiently in the years ahead.