Dubai: Four major intersections, 4,300 metres of bridges and 14km of roads - another new project aimed at easing traffic flow in Dubai has just been awarded, the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Sunday.
The Dh600 million project is part of the Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development Project which connects Al Asayel Street to Al Khail Road via Al Nawras Street and provides an exit to Oud Metha and Al Nawras Streets.
The development will cater to communities in several areas, including Zabeel, Al Jaddaf, Oud Metha, Umm Hurair, Latifa Hospital, and Al Wasl Club.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said the project entails the construction of four major intersections, 4,300 metres of bridges, and 14 km of roads. This development will cater to several areas, including Zabeel, Al Jaddaf, Oud Metha, Umm Hurair, Latifa Hospital, and Al Wasl Club.
By 2030, the project is expected to serve an estimated population of over 420,000. The project will also enhance the capacity of Oud Metha Street from 10,400 vehicles per hour to 15,600 vehicles per hour, marking a 50 per cent increase in capacity. It will also reduce travel time on the route from 20 minutes to just five minutes, a massive improvement of 75 per cent.
Intersections explained
The first intersection, located at the intersection of Oud Metha Street and Sheikh Rashid Street, involves adding a left-turn lane for traffic from Oud Metha to Sheikh Rashid Street, boosting capacity to 1,800 vehicles per hour. Additionally, improvements will be made to the service road on Sheikh Rashid Street between the existing bridge and the exit at Al Zahrawi Street to alleviate current traffic congestion and enhance road safety.
The number of right-turn lanes for traffic coming from Sheikh Rashid Street towards Dubai-Al Ain Road will be increased from two to three, raising capacity to 4,000 vehicles per hour.
The second intersection, located at the intersection of Oud Metha Street with Al Asayel and Al Nawras Streets, involves the construction of two bridges connecting Al Asayel Street to Al Khail Road via Al Nawras Street. The first bridge, with two lanes, will accommodate 2,400 vehicles per hour and serve traffic from Al Asayel towards Al Nawras.
The second bridge, featuring three lanes and accommodating 3,600 vehicles per hour, will handle traffic from Al Khail Road towards Al Asayel. A separate two-lane bridge will be constructed to facilitate left-turn traffic from Al Asayel to Oud Metha Street, with a capacity of 2,400 vehicles per hour. Additional improvements will be made to the road leading to Al Wasl Club’s entrance, as well as the entrances and exits of Al Nawras Street, to resolve the current traffic overlap.
Earlier, RTA developed Ras Al Khor Road from its intersection with Dubai-Al Ain Road to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, covering 8km.
Several bridges totalling 2,000 metres and the expansion of Ras Al Khor Road from three lanes to six lanes in each direction in addition to a two-lane service road on both sides have also been completed.
Result: These upgrades have increased Ras Al Khor Road’s capacity to 10,000 vehicles per hour, reducing travel time from 20 minutes to seven minutes. The project serves several areas with an estimated population of 650,000, including the Lagoons, Dubai Creek, Meydan Horizon, Ras Al Khor, Al Wasl, and Nad Al Hamar.
The third intersection, located at the intersection of Al Nawras Street and Al Khail Road, will see the construction of a two-lane bridge to accommodate traffic from Al Asayel Street towards Al Khail Road, continuing towards the Business Bay Crossing. This bridge will have a capacity of 3,000 vehicles per hour.
Additionally, Al Nawras Street will be upgraded by increasing the exit capacity towards Al Khail Road to two lanes. A service road will be constructed on both sides of Al Nawras Street, with parking spaces provided as part of the upgrades.
The fourth intersection, located at the intersection of Zabeel Palace Street with Al Khail and Oud Metha Street, will see the addition of a lane on the left-turn ramp for traffic from Al Khail Road to Dubai-Al Ain Road, doubling capacity from 900 vehicles per hour to 1,800 vehicles per hour. A single-lane tunnel with a capacity of 1,200 vehicles per hour will be constructed to serve traffic coming from Dubai-Al Ain Road to Al Nawras Street, helping to address current traffic overlap.
The project also includes increasing the number of lanes on the existing bridge, which currently serves traffic from Al Khail Road towards Oud Metha Street. The bridge will be expanded from two to three lanes, increasing its capacity from 2,200 vehicles per hour to 3,300 vehicles per hour.
The projects follows the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, to continue developing the Sheikh Rashid Corridor in line with the city’s urban growth and population expansion and under the follow-up of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai.
