Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened a major three-lane bridge as part of the Oud Metha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project. 

The bridge has a capacity of 3,600 vehicles per hour and serves traffic coming from Al Khail Road towards Al Asayel Street via Al Wasl Club Street.

RTA said 90% of the overall project has been completed and by end of next month it is scheduled to open two tunnels. The first will connect the service road on Oud Metha Street to the Sheikh Rashid Road intersection for traffic heading towards Bur Dubai, while the second will serve traffic coming from Dubai–Al Ain Road towards Al Wasl Club Street, helping address current traffic overlaps. 

RTA will also open a bridge serving left-turn movements for traffic coming from Al Asayel Street towards Oud Metha Street.

Speaking at the opening, Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, Roads and Transport Authority, said: “Oud Metha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project is being implemented under the directives of the wise leadership as part of the completion of Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development Project, to accommodate the requirements of urban development and population growth.”

“The project is one of the key infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing Dubai’s road network. It includes the improvement of four major intersections, the construction of bridges and two tunnels with a total length of 4,300m and roads spanning 14km.

“The project supports several service, residential and development areas, most notably Zabeel, Al Jaddaf, Oud Metha and Umm Hurair, as well as Latifa Hospital and Al Wasl Club. The population of the areas served by the project is expected to exceed 420,000 by 2030,” stated Al Tayer.

“The project will increase the capacity of Oud Metha Street from 10,400 vehicles per hour in both directions to 15,600 vehicles per hour in both directions, an increase of 50%. It will also reduce travel time from 20 minutes to 5 minutes, an improvement of 75%,” he added.

In the first quarter of this year, RTA opened two bridges. The first is located at the intersection of Oud Metha Street with Al Asayel Street and Al Wasl Club Street. It consists of two lanes, with an estimated capacity of 2,400 vehicles per hour, and serves traffic from Al Asayel Street towards Al Wasl Club Street, contributing to smoother traffic flow and reduced journey times in the area.

The second bridge is located at the intersection of Al Wasl Club Street with Al Khail Road. It serves traffic from Al Asayel Street towards Al Khail Road in the direction of Business Bay Crossing and consists of two lanes with a capacity of 3,000 vehicles per hour.

Oud Metha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project covers the improvement of four major intersections, including the intersection of Oud Metha Street with Sheikh Rashid Road, where an additional lane will be added to the left-turn ramp serving traffic from Oud Metha Street onto Sheikh Rashid Road towards Al Garhoud Bridge, increasing capacity to 1,800 vehicles per hour.-TradeArabia News Service