Dubai just opened two huge bridges — here’s how they’ll change your commute

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) opened two key bridges on Sunday, September 15, as part of the Garn Al Sabkha-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project.

This development marks a pivotal step in the project’s completion, which is nearing its final stages.

The first bridge, a two-lane structure extending 601 metres, is designed to manage 3,200 vehicles per hour.

It facilitates eastward traffic from Garn Al Sabkha Street to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, proceeding north towards Al Qusais and Deira.

The second bridge, also two-lane but spanning 664 metres, aims to streamline traffic by eliminating congestion from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road heading south to Al Yalayis Street and Jebel Ali Port, with a similar capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour.

#RTA opened two major bridges on Sunday, 15 September, as part of Garn Al Sabkha-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project. The first is a 2-lane bridge, spanning 601 metres with a capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour. It serves the eastward traffic from Garn… pic.twitter.com/MGwo6ZhT2b

— RTA (@rta_dubai) September 15, 2024

Project involves the integration of four bridges

The overall project, scheduled for completion in October, includes a final bridge linking Garn Al Sabkha Street with Al Asayel Street.

This 943-metre bridge, featuring two lanes in each direction, will accommodate up to 8,000 vehicles per hour, enhancing connectivity between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at RTA, announced that the project is 97 per cent complete.

Al Tayer emphasised the project’s strategic importance, noting that it integrates four bridges spanning a total of 2,874 metres and is capable of handling 17,600 vehicles per hour.

A previously inaugurated two-lane bridge, extending 666 metres, has already improved traffic flow by addressing congestion from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to service roads leading to Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Production City.

The project is expected to significantly reduce travel time. Once complete, the journey from Garn Al Sabkha Street to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road will be shortened by 40 per cent, from 20 minutes to 12 minutes during peak hours.

Additionally, motorists travelling from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to Al Yalayes Street towards Jebel Ali Port will see their travel time cut by 70 per cent, from 21 minutes to 7 minutes.

The project encompasses seven kilometres of roadworks, including enhancements to surface intersections, street lighting, traffic signals, and drainage systems.

This initiative is part of RTA’s broader master plan to develop key east-west traffic corridors and arterial roads, supporting Dubai’s mobility networks and future development projects