Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded contracts worth Dh630 million ($172 million) for the construction of roads and transportation systems in connection with the upcoming Expo 2020 mega event.

 

These include the last two phases (Five and Six) of the roads leading to the Expo site, said a statement from RTA. 

 

The main objective of the project is to ensure a smooth traffic flow for visitors as well as for future projects in the area.

 

These two phases include improvements to both Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road and the intersection of Emirates Road with Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road. 

 

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has issued a directive to immediately begin the construction of roads and transportation systems relating to the hosting Expo 2020, said the statement.

 

Over the past few months, RTA had awarded four contracts for the improvement of roads leading to the Expo project. Phases One and Two included contracts for improving Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road and the intersection with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. 

 

These two phases also included the construction of bridges on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to serve the traffic from and to the Expo 2020, it added.

 

Mattar Al Tayer, the director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA, said: "The improvement of roads leading to the Expo is one of the big projects currently undertaken by RTA to serve the needs of the Expo 2020 in Dubai. Due to the massive nature of the project, it had been split into six phases to ensure the timely completion of works, well before the opening of the Expo. Contracts for the previous four phases had already been awarded."

 

"Phase Five covers the construction of bridges extending 2.6 km, and roads running up to three km. Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road will be widened from three to six lanes in each direction over a 3 km sector, and service roads will be built to improve the current traffic situation," he noted. 

 

"At the intersection with Al Asayel Road, Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road will be elevated to a bridge spanning 800 m of six lanes in each direction. Two other bridges will be constructed to link Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road with a service road extending 1 km to ensure a smooth traffic flow from and to the Expo," stated Al Tayer. 

 

"During this phase, Al Asayel Road will have a surface signalised at the intersection with Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road to ensure a smooth entry and exit from and to Jebel Ali Industrial Area and Jafza," he added.

 

According to him, Phase Six covers the improvement of roads leading to the Expo encompassing the construction of bridges extending 1.4 km and roads of 8 km in length. 

 

"Lanes on Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road will be increased from four to six in each direction over a 3-km stretch, and the Emirates Road will be upgraded over a 5-km stretch," Al Tayer said.

 

"The existing roundabout at the junction of Emirates Road and Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road will be upgraded to a flyover to ensure free traffic flow in all directions," he added. 

 

Accordingly, Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road will be elevated to a bridge of four lanes in each direction, and two-lane service roads will be built on both sides. There will be turns and ramps to facilitate the flow of traffic from Emirates Road to Abu Dhabi and vice versa, and from Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road to Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Road. 

 

Traffic will flow smoothly northward from Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road to the Emirates Road in the direction of Dubai, and southward from Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road to the Emirates Road in the direction of Abu Dhabi," he added.-TradeArabia News Service