Dubai on Saturday opened a 500-metre bridge in an effort to cut congestion and boost travel times across one of the emirate's busiest routes.
The new transport link will seek to ease traffic flow from the Al Bada area towards 2nd December Street and will provide onward access to Sheikh Rashid Road and Al Mustaqbal Street.
It is part of the wider Dubai World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project, which will improve connectivity to Sheikh Zayed Road, the emirate's main motorway.
It is the fourth bridge to be built under the World Trade Centre master plan, which is set to benefit about 500,000 residents and visitors.
The major road improvement scheme is being led by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority.
The latest single-lane bridge will be able to accommodate up to 1,200 vehicles per hour, with the goal of reducing journey times from eight minutes to two minutes.
The upgrade scheme will also convert the signalised intersection on 2nd December Street, serving traffic towards Sheikh Rashid and Al Mustaqbal Streets, into a free-flow intersection.
"This will further improve traffic movement and enhance mobility efficiency across the surrounding area," the RTA said.
Building bridges
When complete, the World Trade Centre project will feature six bridges with a total length of 5,000 metres.
The RTA opened a bridge linking Sheikh Zayed Road with Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street in February.
It previously opened two more bridges in December 2025, serving traffic from 2nd December Street towards Sheikh Rashid Road and Al Majlis Street, leading to Al Mustaqbal Street.
The two bridges have a combined length of 2,000 metres and can accommodate approximately 6,000 vehicles per hour.
The project also includes the construction of two bridges with two lanes in each direction, extending from Al Majlis Street and Sheikh Rashid Road towards 2nd December Street, to link Al Mustaqbal Street with 2nd December Street.
They will have a combined length of 2,000 metres and a capacity of around 6,000 vehicles per hour.
The project also covers converting the existing World Trade Centre Roundabout into a signalised at-grade intersection.
The emirate has embarked on a significant road building strategy in recent years in an effort to ensure its transport infrastructure can keep pace with population growth.
A revamped traffic system was launched by the RTA on Hessa Street last month, to support drivers travelling on the notorious congestion hotspot.
Hessa Street's traffic capacity is now doubled to 16,000 vehicles an hour with traffic time cut from 15 minutes to four, according to the RTA.
The initiative included the upgrading of four key intersections along Hessa Street with Sheikh Zayed Road, First Al Khail Street, Al Asayel Street, and Al Khail Road, and expanding Hessa Street from two lanes to four lanes in each direction
The road corridor serves residential and commercial areas with a population of more than 640,000. Areas served by the project include Jumeirah Village Circle, Arjan, Dubai Science Park, Al Barsha South, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Jumeirah Islands, Barsha Heights, The Greens, and Emirates Hills.
