Motorists travelling to and from Dubai Harbour will soon see journey times reduced from 12 minutes to just three minutes as Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) nears completion of a major new bridge project.
RTA said construction of the 1,500-metre bridge linking Sheikh Zayed Road directly with Dubai Harbour has reached 90 per cent completion, with the first phase set to open this month.
The bridge, which features two lanes in each direction, is designed to improve access to Dubai Harbour, one of the emirate’s leading waterfront destinations and home to the Middle East’s largest yacht marina.
According to the project schedule, traffic heading to Dubai Harbour from Sheikh Zayed Road in both the Deira and Jebel Ali directions will be able to use the bridge in June.
Additional traffic movements, including routes from Dubai Harbour to Al Naseem Street and connections towards the intersection of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street and Al Naseem Street, are scheduled to open in July.
The bridge will have capacity for up to 6,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.
The project also includes improvements at four key intersections along the route to support traffic flow and connectivity in the area.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said the project supports Dubai’s infrastructure development plans and growing urban and tourism sectors.
He said the project was developed in partnership with Shamal Holding and would provide long-term traffic solutions for Dubai Harbour and surrounding districts.
Construction has involved more than 1,400 engineers and workers across 12 teams, with over 4.2 million work hours completed since the project began.
RTA said more than 45,000 cubic metres of concrete and 8,273 tonnes of steel have been used in the project.
Abdulla Binhabtoor, Chief Executive Officer of Shamal Holding, said the bridge would play a key role in supporting the continued growth of Dubai Harbour and improving connectivity to the seafront destination.