Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) opened two new bridges on September 15 as part of the Garn Al Sabkha-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project. This initiative is designed to reduce travel time for motorists by up to 70%, according to Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the RTA Board of Executive Directors.
The first bridge, 601 meters long with two lanes, can accommodate 3,200 vehicles per hour. It facilitates eastbound traffic from Garn Al Sabkha Street to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, continuing north towards Al Qusais and Deira. This bridge is set to reduce peak-hour travel time by 40%, cutting the journey from 20 minutes to 12 minutes.
The second bridge, measuring 664 meters with the same two-lane design and vehicle capacity, aims to reduce congestion by separating the flow of traffic from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road heading south towards Al Yalayis Street and Jebel Ali Port.
A third and final bridge is scheduled to open in October, linking Garn Al Sabkha Street to Al Asayel Street. This 943-meter bridge will have two lanes in each direction and accommodate up to 8,000 vehicles per hour, improving traffic between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
The project is now 97% complete and includes improvements along a 7km stretch on the service roads parallel to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. The development will also feature new streetlights, traffic signals, traffic management systems, stormwater drainage and irrigation networks.