Dubai: Fourth new bridge along Al Khail Road to open on October 13, ease traffic to Deira

A new 610-metre two-lane bridge between the intersection of Al Meydan Street and Ras Al Khor Street towards Deira, will open on Sunday, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has confirmed.

This is the fourth bridge along the busy Al Khail Road that will open as part of the major Al Khail Road Development Project, involving the construction of 3,300-metre-long bridges and the widening of lanes stretching more than 6,820 metres.

As final touches on the new bridge were being done on Saturday, Hamad Al Shehhi, director of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, told Khaleej Times: “The new bridge opening on October 13 will have a capacity to accommodate up to 3,200 vehicles per hour, connecting traffic from Meydan Street to Al Khail Road towards Deira.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Surface road improvements have also been done covering 1,550 metres, connecting traffic from Al Khail Road towards Ras Al Khor Street.”

Another traffic issue that will be solved by the new bridge is to eliminate weaving – or the practice by motorists to move obliquely from one lane to the adjacent lane – as there will now be separate lanes for those heading towards Deira, and another path for those going to Ras Al Khor.

30% reduction in travel time

Al Shehhi noted Al Khail Road Development Project “will expand the capacity of current intersections and bridges by approximately 19,600 vehicles per hour to streamline the traffic flow along Al Khail Road, eliminate traffic overlapping at flyovers crossing Al Khail Road, ensure a smooth traffic flow, and cut down travel times by 30 per cent.”

“Al Khail Road is one of the major highways in Dubai that has been serving more than 1.5 million of Dubai’s population and is used by more than 300,000 vehicles every day,” he noted.

The mega-project will improve traffic flow across seven areas along Al Khail Road, including Zaa’beel, Meydan, Al Quoz 1, Al Jaddaf, Ghadeer Al Tair, and Jumeirah Village Circle.

• Dubai: New Salik toll gate now up; to be operational in November