Two new bridges open in Dubai to cut journey times on key routes

Transport authority says project will reduce travelling time at the Garn Al Sabkha-Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road junction

The two new Dubai crossings have a combined capacity for 6,400 vehicles per hour. Photo: Dubai Media Office

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Two major bridges opened on Sunday in Dubai as part of a project to cut journey times at the Garn Al Sabkha-Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road junction, to the south of traffic-logged Dubai Marina.

The first can accommodate 3,200 vehicles per hour, said the emirate's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The second is 664m long, has two lanes and also has capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour.

The project will be completed next month with the opening of a third bridge connecting the junction of Garn Al Sabkha Street with Al Asayel Street. This crossing spans nearly a kilometre and is designed to handle 8,000 vehicles per hour.

“Upon completion, the project will cut the distance and journey time from Garn Al Sabkha Street to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road towards Al Qusais and Deira by 40 per cent, from 20 minutes to 12 minutes during peak hours," said Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the RTA.

"It will also reduce the journey time for motorists coming from Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road heading rightward to Al Yalayes Street in the direction of Jebel Ali Port by 70 per cent, from 21 minutes to seven minutes."

The project includes improvements to the surface intersections on the service road parallel to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, in addition to street lights, traffic signals, storm drain networks and irrigation systems.