Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has signed a Dh88 million ($24 million) contract for the construction of a three-lane bridge at Wafi Interchange stretching from Oud Metha Road to the Sheikh Rashid Road in the UAE emirate.

"This project is undertaken as part of RTA's endeavours to improve and upgrade the road network in Dubai, and is considered a strategic traffic corridor envisaged in the master plan of roads in the emirate," stated Mattar Al Tayer, the chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA.

"This project encompasses the construction of a three-lane bridge from Oud Metha Road (near Latifa Hospital) in the direction of Sheikh Rashid Road and from there to the Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Saada Road (viaduct leading to the Dubai World Trade Centre) extending 700 m with a capacity to handle around 3,300 vehicles per hour," said Al Tayer.

Wafi Interchange, he stated, is a vital traffic link with several main roads as it intersects with the Sheikh Rashid Road and Oud Metha Road. However, it experiences heavy traffic. Once the work is completed, the new interchange will ease the traffic flow to all directions in the interchange, said Al Tayer.

"It will result in a smooth traffic movement from Oud Metha Road to the east in the direction of Al Ain, and from Sheikh Rashid Road in the direction of Oud Metha to the west (Umm Harir, Oud Metha districts). Such solutions are part of the integrated solutions developed by the RTA to cope with traffic snarls in the emirate," he added.-TradeArabia News Service