Traffic will be diverted off a main road that runs through a popular Dubai community while construction is carried out on the metro extension for Expo 2020.
The Roads and Transport Authority said the detour off Ibn Battuta Street in Discovery Gardens will begin this Friday and last three months.
The diversion will allow workers to complete construction on Dubai Metro’s Route 2020 project connecting the main Red Line to the Expo site.
The RTA will close the Discovery Gardens junction and make an entry and exit point from the bylane. It will also turn Ibn Battuta Street into a one-way road in the direction of Al Asayel Street. Additional entry and exit points will be made to ensure smooth traffic in and around the community.
The diversion will also save commuting time for motorists, the RTA said.
“Residents can use Nakheel Towers Street or Qarn Al Sabkha Street via Al Asayel Street to access their community, Sheikh Zayed Road or any other locations," said Maitha bin Adai, chief executive of Traffic and Roads Agency.
Motorists heading to Sheikh Zayed Road should check RTA's social media platforms for updates, she said.
Work on the 15km extension began in 2016. Seven stations – five above ground and two underground – and an interchange area will be built to serve passengers travelling to the Dubai South site.
The authority previously said it would begin test-runs for the metro extension in February this year.
The new route is expected to handle 20 per cent of people coming to the expo with trains ferrying 35,000 commuters daily during the week, expected to rise to 47,000 passengers on weekends.
