Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened a three-lane Wafi bridge extending 700 m from Oud Metha Road (near Latifa Hospital) in the direction of the Sheikh Rashid Road, and from there to the Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Saada Road (the bridge leading to the Dubai World Trade Centre).

The bridge, which has been built at a cost of Dh88 million ($24 million), will be able to handle about 3,300 vehicles per hour, said a top official.

"It primarily aims at improving the traffic flow leftward coming from Oud Metha in the north to merge with Sheikh Rashid Road to the west, through the construction of a directional ramp ensuring free and safe traffic movement," remarked Mattar Al Tayer, the director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA.

“The new bridge was intended to ease the overlapping traffic problems experienced at the intersection, and ensure a smooth vehicular movement in all directions. The traffic should now flow smoothly from Oud Metha Road heading to the east in the direction of Al Ain, and equally from Sheikh Rashid Road in the direction of Oud Metha Road to the west (Umm Hurair, Oud Metha communities),” stated Al Tayer.

According to him, the upgrading of Wafi Interchange was part of the integrated solutions charted by RTA to address snarls at Bur Dubai.

"Early this year, RTA started construction works for the improvement of the intersection of Sheikh Rashid Road with Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road, costing about Dh611 million ($166 million)," said Al Tayer.

The project, which is expected to be completed in the final quarter of 2017, involves the construction of a bridge on Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road, a tunnel at Sheikh Rashid Road, and a bridge stretching from Umm Hurair Road in the direction of the Sheikh Rashid Road, said the statement from RTA.

The project is aimed at ensuring a free traffic flow from the Trade Centre roundabout to the intersection of the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road with Al Kuwait Road through a bridge of two lanes in each direction, it added.

Al Tayer said the project will see the construction of a tunnel at Sheikh Rashid Road in the direction of the intersection with Al Mankhool Road comprising four lanes in each direction, in addition to the construction of a signallised junction in the underpass.

The project would ensure a free turn from main roads to subsidiary roads, and Sheikh Rashid Road through the one-lane ramp stretching from Umm Hurair Road, stated the top official.

"It also includes lighting and pavement works in addition to irrigation systems, sewage network, rainwater drainage system besides shifting and protecting utility lines such as electricity cables, water pipes and communication ducts," he added.-TradeArabia News Service