Dubai ruler approves $327m of road projects to improve Abu Dhabi traffic flow

Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has approved the awarding of two contracts worth Dhs1.2bn ($326.7m) for roads designed to improve traffic flow from Abu Dhabi.

The Al Yalayis and Al Asayel roads are designed to enhance links between Sheikh Zayed Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road and support the movement of goods too and from Jebel Ali Port.

Dubai Roads and Transport Authority’s director general and chairman HE Mattar Al Tayer said construction work would start immediately.

The work will seek to boost the capacity of Al Yalayis Road to almost 10,000 vehicles per hour per direction and cut the transit time between the 7th Interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road and the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to as low as four minutes, he added.

“The project to construct the 7th Interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road will cost about AED 393 million. It encompasses the construction of a four-lane bridge branching out of Al Yalayis Road into two bridges of two lanes each,” Al Tayer explained.

“The first one is bound for Abu Dhabi and the other one leads to Dubai Road and from there to Jebel Ali Free Zone and Port. It also includes improving the right-side turn to offer three lanes stretching out of Sheikh Zayed Road to Al Yalayis Road in the East, and two lanes from Al Yalayis Road to Sheikh Zayed Road in the direction of Dubai.”

Other work includes two lanes in the direction of Sheikh Zayed road and on to DUBAl Road and two lanes from DUBAL to Sheikh Zayed Road in the direction of Abu Dhabi.

There will also be improvements to light signals Gate No. 1 and 2 of Jebel Ali Port, and the construction of another bridge of two lanes to serve the inbound traffic from DUBAL Street in Jebel Free Zone & Port crossing over Sheikh Zayed Road in the direction of Al Yalayis Road eastward.

Al Yalayis Road is 6km in length and extends from the 7th Interchange of Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road at Al Houdh Interchange

Al Asayel Road will extend 5km to link with JAFZA, Jumeirah Islands, and Emirates Hills. The total cost of the two roads is about Dhs792m.

The project will also be fitted with a 2k two-lane flyover running across Al Asayel Road to serve the inbound traffic from Qarn Al Sabkha Road in the direction of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

The RTA also recently completed the Dhs228m first phase of the Al Houdh Interchange and announced the completion of roadworks at Al Mamzar and Al Nahda 1.

Read: Dubai’s RTA completes roadworks worth Dhs835m