Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has started the construction of a 700-m-long bridge at Wafi Interchange to help minimise the overlapping traffic at the interchange and ensure better traffic flow.

The bridge, comprising three lanes in each direction, stretches from Oud Metha Road (nearby Latifa Hospital) in the direction of the Sheikh Rashid Road, and heads towards the Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Saadah Road (elevated bridge leading to the Dubai World Trade Centre), said a statement from RTA.

“The new bridge will offer smooth movement for vehicles inbound from Oud Metha Road and outbound eastward to Al Ain Exit. It will also improve the traffic flow from the Sheikh Rashid Road to Oud Metha Road in the west (Umm Harir, Oud Metha),” said Maitha bin Udai, the chief executive of RTA Traffic and Roads Agency.

"Wafi is one of the key interchanges in the city, linking a number of highways, thus experiencing high traffic intensity,"  stated bin Udai.

The project, which has been awarded to Dutco Balfour Beatty at a cost of Dh88 million ($24 million), is viewed as one of the integrated solutions the RTA is keen to realise in line with its strategic vision in dealing with snarls in the emirate, she added.-TradeArabia News Service