DUBAI (ALETIHAD)
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) opened a major bridge on Sunday, as part of the Garn Al Sabkha-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project.
The project involves the construction of four bridges, totalling 2,874 metres in length and with a capacity of 17,600 vehicles per hour.
The newly completed two-lane bridge is 666 metres long and has a 3,200 vehicles per hour capacity.
It helps improve traffic flow by separating traffic from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to the service road leading to the entrances of Jumeirah Golf Estate and Dubai Production City.
Director General and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at RTA, His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, announced that the completion rate had reached 90 percent in Al Garn Al Sabkha-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project.
"The project is being undertaken in response to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Such directives call for the completion of road infrastructure development to keep pace with the ongoing development of Dubai and accommodate the needs of urban development and population growth,” he stressed.
Al Tayer Pointed out that His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, closely monitors the project's progress.
The project constitutes a crucial link between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, thus facilitating the traffic flow between Sheikh Zayed Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, First Al Khail Road, and Al Asayel Street.
"Upon completion, the project will reduce the distance and travel time from Garn Al Sabkha Street to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road towards Al Qusais and Deira by 40 percent, from 20 to 12 minutes during peak hours. It will also decrease the journey time for motorists travelling from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road heading towards Al Yalayes Street in the direction of Jebel Ali Port by 70 percent, from 21 minutes to 7 minutes," added Al Tayer.
Four Bridges
The project includes the construction of four bridges, the first of which is a 943-metre bridge at the intersection of Garn Al Sabkha Street and Al Asayel Street, with two lanes in each direction and a capacity of 8,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.
It will facilitate the flow of traffic between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
The second is a two-lane bridge spanning 601 metres, which is designed to serve traffic from Garn Al Sabkha Street, east towards Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Street, and north towards Al Qusais and Deira.
The bridge has an estimated capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour.
The third is a two-lane bridge extending 664 metres, which enables smooth traffic flow by eliminating interference from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road vehicles heading north to Al Yalayes Street towards Jebel Ali Port.
It has an estimated capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour.
The fourth bridge, which opened on Sunday, is 666 metres long and has two lanes.
It is estimated to have a capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour.
The project involves seven kms of road work, including improvements to the surface intersections on the service road parallel to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
It encompasses streetlights, traffic signals, traffic systems, stormwater drainage networks, and irrigation systems.
Garn Al Sabkha-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project is part of RTA's master plan to develop strategic east-west traffic corridors and arterial roads, such as the recently completed Al Yalayes Street and Expo Street.
These corridors support Dubai's mobility networks, serve many development projects on both sides and accommodate current and future traffic volumes.