Dubai has opened two bridges as part of a Dh5.3 billion transportation development
As part of its efforts to improve city transportation, the RTA has opened two significant tunnels and bridges in Dubai. According to the RTA, the new openings extend 2.325km and have a capacity of 27,200 cars per hour. The developments are a part of the Falcon Interchange Improvement Project, which is situated between Al Khaleej Street, Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road, and Al Ghubaiba Road.
New Bridges and Tunnels
The Infinity Bridge and Al Shindagha Tunnel in Dubai link the two bridges on the northern side, and ultimately those bridges will connect with those that RTA is presently building at the intersection of Sheikh Rashid Road and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street on the southern side.
The Roads and Transport Authority’s Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, Mattar Al Tayer, stated: “The completion of this project is in line with the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the follow-up of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, to expedite the completion of the Al Shindagha corridor to keep pace with the ongoing progress of the area along the corridor and to cater to the demands of urban and population growth.”
The Falcon Interchange Improvement Project, which spans Sheikh Rashid Road, Al Mina Street, Al Khaleej Street, and Cairo Street, is a part of the 13 km-long Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project.
The Falcon Interchange renovation allows for uninterrupted travel along the Al Shindagha corridor (Al Khaleej and Al Mina Street), as well as increased capacity, efficiency, and traffic safety on these two highways. Also, it provides access points to Mina Rashid (Port Rashid) and more parking spaces below the new bridge to service the area.
The project involves constructing two major bridges on Al Khaleej Street that span 1825 metres, and each will introduce six lanes with a combined capacity of 12,000 cars per hour in both directions.
The first bridge is 750 metres long, while the second bridge reaches 1,075 metres southward. From the Deira side, these bridges connect to the brand-new Infinity Bridge, the Al Shindagha Tunnel, and the renovated Sheikh Rashid Road junctions.
A two-lane tunnel connecting Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road and Al Mina Street has been opened for left turns. Up to 3,200 cars could pass through this 500-meter tunnel per hour. A single-lane slope bridge for right turns from Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road to Al Khaleej Street is being built as the third bridge in the project and is under the final stage of construction, overseen by the contractor. Up to 1,600 cars can pass across the 250-meter bridge each hour. Together with pavements, lighting, traffic systems, rainfall drainage, and irrigation systems, other ongoing construction projects include a signalised surface intersection that links Al Khaleej Street with Al Ghubaiba Road and Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road. All of the work is expected to be finished by July of this year.
The RTA has granted the first contract in Phase 4 of the Al Shindagha Corridor development project. The 4.8 km long Sheikh Rashid Road is included in terms of this agreement, from its intersection with Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street to the Falcon Interchange on Al Mina Street. Three bridges with a combined length of 3.1 km and an hourly capacity of 19,400 cars are among the works included in this phase.
The first bridge, which is 1,335 metres long and has three lanes in each direction, improves the flow of traffic between Sheikh Rashid Road and the Falcon Interchange, with a total capacity of 10,800 cars per hour in both directions. The second bridge is 780 metres long and has three lanes, with a capacity to accommodate 5,400 vehicles per hour, for traffic from Falcon Interchange to Al Wasl Road. With a projected capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour, the third bridge, which is 985 metres long and includes two lanes, will carry traffic from Jumeirah Road to Al Mina Street and into the Falcon Interchange.
As part of the project, 4.8 km of roads will be improved, surface intersections on Jumeirah Road, Al Mina Street, and Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah Street will be renovated, and two pedestrian bridges will be constructed: one on Sheikh Rashid Road and the other on Al Mina Street. The project also includes the installation of networks for Dubai’s irrigation, rainfall drainage, and traffic systems.
Al Tayer stated: The Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project is one of the largest projects currently being undertaken by RTA, with a total estimated cost of AED5.3 billion. It encompasses the construction of 15 junctions spanning 13 km in total.
“Due to its massive scope, the project had been split into five phases.” The Corridor serves Deira and Bur Dubai in addition to several development projects such as the Deira Islands, Dubai Seafront, Dubai Maritime City, and Mina Rashid.
“As such, it is expected to serve about one million people. It will reduce the travel time from 104 minutes to just 16 minutes by 2030, and the time saved over 20 years will be worth about AED45 bn.”