RTA completes 85% construction of Dubai-Al Ain Road improvement project

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has completed 85 per cent of construction on the Dubai-Al Ain Road improvement project, it confirmed on Saturday.

One of the biggest infrastructure projects currently being undertaken by RTA, it extends 17km from the intersection of the Emirates Road to Bu Kadra-Ras Al Khor intersection.

It encompasses widening the road from three to six lanes in each direction and constructing service roads on both sides to step up the traffic safety. The whole project includes six key intersections to ensure easing the traffic and serve residential communities on both sides of the road such as the Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubailand Residence Complex, Liwan, Meydan and Dubai Design District.

The overall length of the project’s six junctions amounts to 6,600 metres and all bridges span 4,900 metres.

RTA opened today, a new bridge linking Al Manama and Al Meydan Streets crossing over the Dubai Al Ain Road. #RTA has accordingly eradicated the previous roundabout and adjusted the sloping ends of the existing bridges on Al Meydan Street. https://t.co/6pqh6VIL3f pic.twitter.com/klpVCRtLHm

— RTA (@rta_dubai) November 20, 2021

The project will serve the existing and future development projects on both sides of the Dubai-Al Ain Road, and double up the road capacity to 12,000 vehicles from 6,000 vehicles in each direction. The project is also hoped to reduce the transit time on the road from Bu Kadra intersection to the Emirates Road intersection from 16 to 8 minutes, which will ease snarls that used to extend about 2km.

“The project scope covers constructing six key intersections and widening the road from three to six lanes in each direction over a 17km stretch from the intersection with the Emirates Road to the intersection of Bu Kadra and Ras Al Khor,” said Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, RTA’s director-general and chairman.

As part of the project, the RTA has opened a new bridge linking Al Manama and Al Meydan Streets crossing over the Dubai Al Ain Road.

The previous roundabout has been removed and the sloping ends of the existing bridges on Al Meydan Street has been adjusted, a statement said.

The bridge extends 328 metres and consists of four lanes in each direction. The capacity of the bridge is 16,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.

“The intersection will improve the traffic safety and ease the traffic flow on the intersection during peak hours,” said Al Tayer.

Overall, the scope of Phase II of the Dubai-Al Ain Road improvement project encompasses widening the main road and building flyovers and service roads to ensure a safe entry/exit for residential areas and service facilities on both sides of the road.

These intersections include Nad Al Sheba intersection, Dubai-Al Ain Road link with Al Manama Street, building a four lane bridge in each direction to link Al Meydan Street and Al Manama Street, and improving the existing bridge over Al Meydan Street and Dubai-Al Ain Road.

Flyovers

RTA has recently opened a key 170-metre bridge at the junction of Nad Al Sheba and Dubai-Al Ain Roads comprised of two lanes in each direction. The bridge serves the traffic from and to Dubai-Al Ain Road heading to Nad Al Sheba, Meydan and development projects in the neighbourhood.

The construction of ramps at the junction of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road with Dubai-Al Ain Road has been completed. Work is currently underway in constructing the main bridge at the same junction to provide turns in all other directions.

The link with the existing Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street and its extension that was opened in 2018 will be completed by constructing a bridge across Dubai-Al Ain Road comprising four lanes in each direction, which can be widened to five lanes in future.

A new ramp will be built to serve the traffic inbound from Dubai heading North to the Academic City and the Dubai Silicon Oasis. Service roads will be constructed on both sides of the road along with turns to serve other movements and development projects. These works are expected to be completed by the second half of next year.