Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the opening of two major bridges as part of Oud Maitha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project, which forms part of Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development Project. 

The project contributes to linking Al Asayel Street with Al Khail Road via Al Wasl Club Street. The first bridge serves traffic from Al Asayel Street towards Al Wasl Club Street, while the second bridge carries traffic from Al Asayel Street to Al Khail Road towards Business Bay Crossing.

The first bridge, inaugurated at the intersection of Oud Maitha Street with Al Asayel Street and Al Wasl Club Street, comprises two lanes with a design capacity of approximately 2,400 vehicles per hour. 

It accommodates traffic movements from Al Asayel Street towards Al Wasl Club Street, improving traffic flow efficiency and reducing travel times across the area, said RTA in a statement.

The second bridge is located at the intersection of Al Wasl Club Street and Al Khail Road. It carries traffic movements from Al Asayel Street to Al Khail Road towards Business Bay Crossing and comprises two lanes with a capacity of approximately 3,000 vehicles per hour, it stated.

Giving a project update, RTA said 72% of the overall project has been completed, and 70% of the tunnel construction works have also been completed. The tunnel will serve traffic from Dubai–Al Ain Road towards Oud Maitha service road. 

Works are currently underway to complete additional road expansions and bridge structures, which are expected to open in the third quarter of this year.

On the bridges opening, Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the RTA Board, said the project serves several key service facilities, residential communities, and development zones, most notably Za’abeel, Al Jaddaf, Oud Maitha, and Umm Hurair, in addition to major destinations such as Latifa Hospital and Al Wasl Club. 

"It will increase the traffic-carrying capacity of Oud Maitha Street from 10,400 vehicles per hour in both directions to 15,600 vehicles per hour, representing an increase of 50%. It will also reduce average journey time from 20 minutes to 5 minutes, reflecting an improvement of 75%," he noted.

The population of the areas served by the project is projected to exceed 420,000 residents by 2030, he added.

According to RTA, the Al Asayel and Oud Maitha Streets Development Project includes the upgrade of four major intersections. 

The first is the intersection of Oud Maitha Street and Sheikh Rashid Street, which involves the addition of a dedicated left-turn slip lane for traffic from Oud Maitha Street to Sheikh Rashid Street in the direction of Al Garhoud Bridge, increasing capacity to 1,800 vehicles per hour.

The project also includes the development of the intersection of Oud Maitha Street with Al Asayel Street and Al Wasl Club Street through the construction of two bridges linking Al Asayel Street with Al Khail Road via Al Wasl Club Street.

The third intersection of Al Wasl Club Street and Al Khail Road will be upgraded with construction of a two-lane bridge serving traffic from Al Asayel Street towards Al Khail Road in the direction of Business Bay Crossing, with a capacity of 3,000 vehicles per hour.

The works also include the enhancement of Al Wasl Club Street by expanding the exit towards Al Khail Road to two lanes, constructing service roads along Al Wasl Club Street in both directions, and providing vehicle parking spaces.

On the fourth intersection, RTA said the one linking Zaa’beel Palace Street with Al Khail Road and Oud Maitha Street will see the addition of an extra lane on the left-turn ramp for traffic from Al Khail Road towards Dubai–Al Ain Road, thus increasing capacity from 900 vehicles per hour to 1,800 vehicles per hour.

The works also include the construction of a single-lane vehicular tunnel with a capacity of 1,200 vehicles per hour, serving traffic from Dubai–Al Ain Road towards Al Wasl Club Street, which will help resolve the existing traffic overlap in the area, it stated.

The project further includes widening the existing bridge serving traffic from Al Khail Road towards Oud Maitha Street from two lanes to three, increasing the bridge’s capacity from 2,200 vehicles per hour to 3,300 vehicles per hour, it added.-TradeArabia News Service