Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), has approved the construction of 10 pedestrian bridges in 2015-2016 in various vital areas in the Emirate at a cost of about Dh40 million ($10.7 million).

“Constructing footbridges stems from the commitment of the RTA to provide safe means for pedestrians to cross roads,” said Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA.

“The new bridges will be constructed in a number of vital locations that have been identified in traffic studies focused on the intensity of people’s movement between the two sides of the road, areas with abundant shops and establishments, and locations recording high run-over accidents (black points).”

“The RTA is committed to specific standards in designing and constructing pedestrian bridges in Dubai through conducting traffic studies that address population density, driving speed, services provided on both sides of the road and the number of traffic accidents in the area,” Al Tayer said.

“Depending on solutions concluded to in those studies, deliverables are reflected in the form of technical and traffic projects such as pedestrian bridges, signalized pedestrian crossings, humps, and speed calming devices among others.”

He added that the efforts made by the RTA, in collaboration with the General HQ of the Dubai Police, contributed positively to pedestrian’s traffic safety on roads, where the number of fatalities reported in pedestrian accidents dropped from 9.5 fatalities per 100 thousand of population in 2007 to 2.3 fatalities per 100 thousand of population in 2010, and plunged further to 1.2 fatalities per 100 thousand of population in 2013.

“The number of pedestrian bridges in Dubai leapfrogged from 14 bridges in 2006 to 74 bridges in 2011, and will jump further to as much as 100 by the end of this year.

“Four covered and air-conditioned pedestrian bridges will be constructed at Al Safouh Street; two to serve tram users and residents on both sides of the street, and the other two to link Tecom with the opposite side of the street as well as the Dubai Marina Mall; thus offering the public a safe mobility means to cross the street in that vital area. Work is up and running in the construction of 7 other bridges to be completed in 2015; which will bring the overall number of pedestrian bridges by 2016 to as much as 120 bridges,” elaborated Al Tayer. – TradeArabia News Service