Major Dh374m Dubai road project to cut travel times and make commutes easier

Four bridges capable of carrying 17,600 vehicles per hour to be built as part of scheme

A contract has been awarded for the 'Garn Al Sabkha Street Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project'. Photo: Roads and Transport Authority

Dubai transport chiefs have given the green light to a major road project that aims to cut travel times between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a contract for the Garn Al Sabkha Street Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project, Dubai Media Office announced on Sunday.

The Dh374m ($101.82m) scheme will include the construction of four bridges capable of carrying 17,600 vehicles per hour. When complete, it will slash journey times and make commutes easier for motorists.

“This project is part of a larger initiative to improve the Garn Al Sabkha Street corridor, which connects Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Roads,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the RTA. “Its goal is to guarantee that traffic flows smoothly between Sheikh Zayed Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, First Al Khail Street and Al Asayel Street.”

Mr Al Tayer, also the chairman of the RTA's board of executive directors, said the project will reduce transit distance and time by 40 per cent for traffic heading from Garn Al Sabkha Street to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road in the direction of Al Qusais and Sharjah, reducing peak hour journey time to just 12 minutes from 20 minutes.

It will also reduce the journey time by 70 per cent for vehicles from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road rightward to Al Yalayis Road in the direction of Jebel Ali Port to seven minutes from 21 minutes.

The first bridge is 960 metres long and will stand at the intersection of Garn Al Sabkha Street and Al Asayel Street. This two-lane bridge can handle 8,000 vehicles per hour in both directions and facilitates a smooth traffic flow between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

The major road project aims to reduce journey times. Roy Cooper / The National

The second is a 660-metre bridge of two lanes serving traffic from Garn Al Sabkha Street Westwards heading to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road Northwards in the direction of Al Qusais and Sharjah. This bridge can handle 3,200 vehicles per hour.

“The third is a two-lane 700 metres bridge streamline the traffic flow and eliminate the overlapping traffic from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road heading northward to Al Yalayis Road in the direction of Jebel Ali Port. The bridge can accommodate 3,200 vehicles per hour," said Mr Al Tayer.

“The fourth is a two-lane bridge spanning 680 metres that aims to ensure smooth traffic flow and prevent the overlapping traffic from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to the service road leading to Dubai Production City. The bridge has a capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour,” he added.

The project also includes 7 kilometres of roadwork along with street lighting, traffic signals and systems, rainwater drainage and irrigation networks. A completion date for the project was not announced.

The project also includes street lighting, traffic signals and systems and rainwater drainage networks. Photo: Roads and Transport Authority

It is part of a broader plan to upgrade strategic road corridors to the east and the west, such as Al Yalayis and Expo Roads, which strengthen Dubai's transportation system, service an array of developmental projects on both sides of the roads and accommodate both current and future traffic volumes.

It is also just the latest in a series of projects the RTA had embarked on or completed amid a surge in Dubai's population, which has grown by close to 90,000 in a year.

In March it was announced the RTA had awarded the first contract under Phase 4 of its Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project.

The Dh5.3 billion project is aimed to serve the needs of urban growth along the corridor, the authority said. The scope of the Dh800m contract extends 4.8km along Sheikh Rashid Road, from the intersection with Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street to the Falcon Interchange on Al Mina Road.

Dubai is also set to open seven new footbridges as part of a major effort to make the emirate a global leader in traffic safety.