Dubai’s $1.4bn roads plan to slash traffic time from 104 to 16 minutes, three new bridges being built

Dubai traffic plan will save AED45bn and serve more than a million people

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded the first contract under Phase 4 of Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project.

The project aims to keep pace with the continuous development of the locality while catering to the demands of urban expansion and population growth.

The scope of this AED800m ($218m) contract extends 4.8 km along Sheikh Rashid Road from the intersection with Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street to the Falcon Interchange on Al Mina Road.

Dubai traffic time

The project involves constructing three bridges spanning 3.1 km in total, capable of accommodating 19,400 vehicles per hour across all lanes.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said: “Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project, which spans 13 km along Sheikh Rashid Road, Al Mina Road, Al Khaleej Street, and Cairo Street, contributes to a smooth traffic flow along the Corridor. It will also enhance roads capacity and efficiency as well as traffic safety.

Three bridges will be built:

• The first is a three-lane bridge stretching 1,335m to ensure a smooth traffic flow between Sheikh Rashid Road and Falcon Intersection with a capacity of 10,800 vehicles per hour in both directions.
• The second is a three-lane bridge extending 780m to serve the traffic inbound from Falcon Interchange heading to Al Wasl Road with a capacity of 5,400 vehicles per hour.
• The third is a two-lane bridge extending 985m to serve the traffic inbound from Jumeirah Street heading to Al Mina Road in the direction of Falcon Interchange with a capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour.

The project also includes the construction of streets extending 4.8 km, and the improvement of surface intersections at Jumeirah Street, Al Mina Road and Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jabir Al Sabah Street.

It also covers the construction of two footbridges: the first on Sheikh Rashid Road, and the second on Al Mina Road in addition to streetlighting works, traffic systems, rainwater drainage networks, and irrigation networks.

The Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project is one of the largest projects currently being undertaken by RTA with a total estimated cost of AED5.3bn ($1.4bn).

The project encompasses the construction of 15 intersections spanning 13 km in total. Due to its massive scope, the project had been split into five phases.

Al Tayer said: “The Corridor serves Deira and Bur Dubai in addition to several development projects such as Deira Islands, Dubai Seafront, Dubai Maritime City and Port Rashid.

“As such, it is expected to serve about one million people. It will slash the travel time from 104 minutes to just 16 minutes by 2030, and the time saved over 20 years will be worth about AED45 billion”.

The RTA has completed the improvement of numerous intersections within Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project, including the opening of Improvement of Sheikh Rashid Road-Oud Metha Street Intersection on (Wafi Intersection), and the improvement of the Sheikh Rashid Road and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street Intersection, which included the construction of two bridges on the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street comprising two lanes in each direction.

It also included the construction of a one-lane bridge from Zabeel Street in the direction of Sheikh Rashid Road and a tunnel on Sheikh Rashid Road in the direction of Sheikh Rashid-Al Mankhool Intersection comprising four lanes in each direction.

RTA also opened five bridges leading to Deira Islands, which provide entry/exit points to Deira Islands at the intersection of Al Khaleej-Abu Baker Al Siddique Streets.

The bridges and ramps span 2,571m in length and have a total capacity of approximately 20,700 vehicles per hour.

The RTA also opened a main bridge on Al Khaleej Street extending 570 metres comprising three lanes in the direction of Bur Dubai as well as a surface junction at the intersection of Al Khaleej Street and Omar bin Al Khattab Street.

The bridge can handle 4,800 vehicles per hour and serve the traffic on Al Khaleej Street inbound from the intersection of Abu Baker Al Siddiq Street and Deira Islands in the direction of Al-Shindagha Tunnel.

Al Tayer said: “Early last year RTA opened the Infinity Bridge extending approximately 295m and consisting of six lanes in each direction in addition to a combined 3-metre-wide track for pedestrians and cyclists.

“The bridge features an architectural arch shaped in the form of the infinity symbol rising 42m at the top. It boasts an iconic structural design inspired by the infinity concept, which replicates the unlimited ambitions of Dubai.

“The bridge, with its exceptional architectural design, is a unique sign for Dubai globally”.

Meanwhile, the RTA has made significant progress in the construction works of the Falcon Interchange Improvement Project, which includes the construction of two bridges along Al Khaleej Street.

The first bridge extends 750m North, and the second one stretches 1075m South. The bridges have six lanes in each direction with a capacity of up to 24,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.

Works include the construction of a single-lane bridge extending 250m for the right-turn from Khalid bin Al Waleed Street to Al Khaleej Street with a capacity of 1600 vehicles per hour.

Works underway include a two-lane 500m tunnel for left turns from Khaled bin Al Waleed Street to Al Mina Road capable of handling 3200 vehicles per hour in addition to a surface signalised intersection linking Al Khaleej with Al Ghubaiba and Khaled bin Al Waleed Streets.