Travel time drops to 5 minutes as RTA tackles bottlenecks in Dubai

Dubai: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened a major new bridge under the Oud Metha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project, bringing motorists closer to relief from one of the city’s busiest traffic bottlenecks.

The latest opening is part of a wider road upgrade designed to untangle congestion at key intersections linking Al Khail Road, Sheikh Rashid Road, Dubai–Al Ain Road and Oud Metha. Once the remaining bridge and two tunnels open by the end of August, the project will reduce travel times from around 20 minutes to just five minutes, increase road capacity by 50 per cent and improve traffic flow for more than 420,000 residents by 2030.

The newly inaugurated three-lane bridge, which opened on Sunday, carries up to 3,600 vehicles an hour from Al Khail Road to Al Asayel Street via Al Wasl Club Street. It provides motorists with a direct connection that bypasses one of the corridor’s busiest intersections, reducing delays and easing pressure on surrounding roads.

RTA said 90 per cent of the project has now been completed.

By the end of August, motorists will benefit from two new tunnels and another bridge that will separate conflicting traffic movements at major junctions – a key cause of congestion during peak hours.

One tunnel will connect the Oud Metha Street service road with Sheikh Rashid Road for vehicles heading towards Bur Dubai, allowing drivers to avoid busy surface intersections. The second tunnel will carry traffic from Dubai–Al Ain Road to Al Wasl Club Street, removing traffic overlap that currently slows vehicles approaching the junction.

Another bridge will provide a dedicated left-turn movement from Al Asayel Street to Oud Metha Street, eliminating another traffic conflict point and reducing queues.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said the project forms part of the ongoing Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development Project, which is being implemented under the directives of Dubai’s leadership to meet the emirate’s rapid urban expansion.

“The project is one of the key infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing Dubai’s road network. It includes the improvement of four major intersections, the construction of bridges and two tunnels with a total length of 4,300 metres, and roads spanning 14 kilometres,” Al Tayer said.

He said the project supports several residential and service areas, including Zabeel, Al Jaddaf, Oud Metha and Umm Hurair, as well as important destinations such as Latifa Hospital and Al Wasl Club. “The population of the areas served by the project is expected to exceed 420,000 by 2030,” he said.

Al Tayer said the improvements would significantly increase the road’s carrying capacity.

“The project will increase the capacity of Oud Metha Street from 10,400 vehicles per hour in both directions to 15,600 vehicles per hour, an increase of 50 per cent. It will also reduce travel time from 20 minutes to five minutes.”

The project focuses on some of Dubai’s busiest road junctions where vehicles travelling in different directions currently converge, creating delays during morning and evening rush hours.

Rather than simply widening roads, RTA has introduced bridges, tunnels and dedicated turning lanes that separate traffic streams before they reach major intersections. This allows vehicles heading towards Bur Dubai, Business Bay Crossing, Dubai–Al Ain Road and Al Khail Road to move independently without competing for the same road space.

The project also upgrades service roads, expands entry and exit points, widens existing bridges and adds extra turning lanes, improving both traffic flow and road safety.

Earlier this year, RTA opened two bridges under the same project. One improved traffic between Al Asayel Street and Al Wasl Club Street, while the other created a smoother connection from Al Asayel Street to Al Khail Road towards Business Bay Crossing.

With the final structures expected to open next month, the entire corridor will provide faster, safer and more direct journeys for thousands of motorists every day.