Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has announced the construction of an eight-lane bridge over Dubai Creek, designed to ease traffic congestion around Bur Dubai. The contract for this significant infrastructure project has been awarded, which will create direct access points to Dubai Islands from the Bur Dubai side.

The bridge will extend 1 425 meters, featuring four lanes in each direction, and is estimated to cost Dh786 million. It is expected to accommodate the movement of 16 000 vehicles per hour in both directions, significantly enhancing traffic flow in the area.

The bridge will rise 18.5 meters above the surface of Dubai Creek, with a navigational channel measuring 75 meters wide, allowing various types of vessels to pass through. Additionally, it will include a dedicated pedestrian and cycling path, along with elevators to assist non-motorized traffic.

This project is a vital part of the Al Shindagha Corridor Development, one of RTA’s flagship infrastructure initiatives. The corridor aims to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion in the Deira and Bur Dubai areas while connecting major developments such as Dubai Islands, Dubai Maritime City, and Port Rashid.

Furthermore, surface roads extending 2 000 meters will be constructed to link the bridge with existing roads on both sides of Dubai Islands and Bur Dubai areas. Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at RTA, explained that this is the second contract under the initiative to build entry and exit points for Dubai Islands.

Al Tayer highlighted the completion of a project in 2020 in collaboration with Dubai Holding, which involved constructing three bridges totaling 1.6 kilometers. These bridges facilitate smooth traffic from Dubai Islands to Al Khaleej Street in various directions.

In addition, Al Tayer noted that the Dubai Islands access project is part of the broader Al Shindagha Corridor Development Project. This extensive project involves developing 15 intersections along a 13-kilometer stretch and has been divided into five phases due to its scale. Once completed, it is expected to benefit approximately one million people, reducing travel time from 104 minutes to just 16 minutes and yielding estimated savings of nearly Dh45 billion over 20 years.

Amit Kaushal, Group Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding, remarked that their partnership with RTA illustrates their commitment to enhancing Dubai’s infrastructure and connectivity across key developments in the emirate.

The agreement for traffic solutions between RTA and Dubai Holding, valued at Dh6 billion, aims to elevate the emirate’s infrastructure to meet the demands of major development projects, including Dubai Islands and others. This agreement also includes the construction of bridges and roads to improve access to several key development areas.

As part of the agreement, additional entry and exit points will be constructed for Jumeirah Village Circle, along with flyovers that will double the capacity of these access points by 100 percent. This work will substantially reduce travel time on entrances, exits, and internal roads.

Moreover, the agreement includes building more bridges for entry and exit from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to Dubai Production City, which will cut travel time on these access points and internal roads by 50 percent. Enhancements are also planned for the Business Bay entrance from Sheikh Zayed Road, including a pedestrian bridge to improve safety at the intersection.

Additionally, the agreement encompasses the addition of acceleration and deceleration lanes along Palm Jumeirah Street at six key locations to boost traffic flow. The development will also include two pedestrian bridges, enhancing safety and reducing travel times within Palm Jumeirah by 40 percent.

Finally, the agreement covers the expansion of the entrance to Dubai International City (Phase 3) from Al Manama Street, including a new lane, widening internal roads, and upgrading intersections, which will improve traffic management and safety by reducing travel time from 15 minutes to just 5 minutes.