Dubai opens new bridge to boost traffic flow on major road

A new two-lane bridge opened in Dubai on Sunday, built to ease congestion at a major road linking to two districts in the emirate.

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority said the 666-metre bridge would serve 3,200 vehicles an hour and would help separate traffic from the busy Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to the service road leading to the entrances of Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Production City.

It is one of four new bridges planned under the Garn Al Sabkha Street Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project.

Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the authority, said the large-scale road scheme was now 90 per cent complete.

He said the upgrade plan was part of Dubai's efforts to ensure its road infrastructure is able to meet the demands of expanding urban development and a growing population.

The emirate's population has crossed 3.7 million, the latest data from Dubai Statistics Centre shows.

The major project will support the emirate's drive to boost traffic flow between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Sheikh Zayed Road.

In April, the authority unveiled congestion-cutting plans for a 1.6km six-lane tunnel in Deira.

Al Khaleej Street Tunnel will serve 12,000 vehicles an hour and will stretch from the end of the ramp of Infinity Bridge in Deira to the junction of Al Khaleej and Cairo streets.

The authority did not confirm when the tunnel is expected to open.

It is the latest addition to the Dh5.3 billion ($1.44 billion) Al Shindagha Corridor.