Dubai's Dh689m Hessa Street project to double traffic capacity on busy route

Major congestion-cutting drive will expand road to four lanes in each direction

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has released details of a major road expansion plan for Hessa Street. Photo: Dubai Media Office

Dubai's transport chiefs will lead a Dh689 million revamp of Hessa Street aimed at cutting congestion, slashing travel times and boosting safety on one of the emirate's busiest routes.

The Roads and Transport Authority said on Sunday it had been awarded the contract to oversee the development of the Hessa Street Improvement Project as part of a drive from Dubai's leadership to bolster road infrastructure across the emirate.

The scheme will expand Hessa Street to four lanes in each direction, adding 4.5km of road, and involve the development of four junctions.

The initiative will double the capacity of the key road, which serves residential areas with a population of about 640,000 people.

A 13.5km cycle path is also planned, along with two bridges for cyclists and pedestrians crossing Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Street.

Details of the congestion-cutting scheme were announced by the Dubai Media Office and the RTA on Sunday.

The RTA said the work was being carried out on the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the RTA, said the Hessa Street project was "one of the most important infrastructure development projects for the road network", in remarks carried by the Dubai Media Office.

Road expansion plans

"The project serves a number of residential and development areas, such as the Al Sufouh Second area, the Al Barsha residential area and the Jumeirah Village Circle," he said.

The RTA is stepping up efforts to expand its road network to help meet the needs of a booming Dubai population which crossed 3.5 million in April last year, buoyed by a post-pandemic surge in migration.

Dubai Statistics Centre's live population counter stood at more than 3.62 million on Sunday.

In July, the RTA awarded a contract for the Garn Al Sabkha Street Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project.

The Dh374 million ($101.82 million) 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 commuting easier for motorists.

It aims to cut travel times between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road.

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 at serving the needs of urban growth along the corridor, the authority said. The scope of the Dh800 million contract extends 4.8km along Sheikh Rashid Road, from the junction 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.