You don’t have to tell us that Dubai is an amazing place to live with so many brilliant things to see and do every week.
The city is constantly growing and expanding but with more and more people moving here every year, there’s increased pressure on Dubai roads.
Dubai traffic is handled by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) which has been working on several major multi-million dirham projects to transform the city and improve traffic flow.
In the Federal National Council, questions have been raised regarding congestion and the pressure on travel times for the many who need to drive to or around Dubai to get to work.
Luckily, plans are already well on the way to tackle this congestion.
Here are 6 major road projects aimed at slashing Dubai traffic:
Al Khail Road
The city’s most recently announced road project will see a series of bridges built and the widening of roads to improve traffic flow.
The Dhs700 million contract will cover a 6,820-metre area of the city which includes Zabeel, Meydan, Al Quoz 1, Ghadeer Al Tair and Jumeirah Village Circle. Construction will help the traffic towards both Abu Dhabi and Deira.
Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project
The long-running project is currently in phase four with the latest contract worth Dhs800 million. As of Monday May 13, the project is 45 percent complete.
This phase of the mammoth project will extend 4.8km along Sheikh Rashid Road from the intersection with Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street to the Falcon Interchange on Al Mina Road.
The project involves constructing three bridges spanning 3.1 km in total, capable of accommodating 19,400 vehicles per hour across all lanes.
A new bridge connecting Bur Dubai and Dubai Islands serving 16,000 drivers per hour will also be built as part of the project.
Dedicated taxi and bus lanes
The RTA is planning to build dedicated taxi and bus lanes as long as 13.1 km on six key streets including Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, 2nd of December, Al Satwa, Al Nahda, Omar bin Al Khattab, and Naif Streets.
Scheduled for completion between 2025 and 2027, the project will extend Dubai’s network of dedicated bus lanes to 20.1 km.
Government officials say that these changes will encourage residents to use public transport rather than their private vehicles.
Hessa Street
Hurrah – help is on the way for Hessa Street. The Dhs689 million project will improve four main intersections and widen Hessa Street to four lanes in each direction over a 4.5km stretch.
Announced in October of last year, it will revamp four main intersections along Hessa Street – Sheikh Zayed Road, First Al Khail Street, Al Asayel Street and Al Khail Road.
It will double the number of lanes on Hessa Street in both directions. The project is expected to serve 640,000 people by 2030.
The Intelligent Traffic Systems Project
The second phase of a huge project is now underway to make Dubai traffic systems and roads the cleverest in the world.
Never doing things by halves, Dubai will soon have 100 per cent of its main roads covered by smart technology, as part of the Intelligent Traffic Systems project, allowing you to have a much smoother ride.
Dubai’s roads will feature some incredible equipment, including sensors, cameras and technology that will be able to tell you everything from journey times to road conditions.
Surveillance cameras will be able to identify speeding motorists, while others will be able to instantly register an incident or crash and alert the relevant authorities. New Variable Message Signs (VMS) and smart applications will help to distribute traffic effectively, making for easier journeys.
Umm Suqeim Road Project
A Dhs332 million contract awarded to improve the Umm Suqeim Street Project was announced in January this year, to massive sighs of relief.
It will extend the intersection with Al Khail Road to the intersection with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
This will include the construction of two bridges, with three lanes in each direction and three pedestrian bridges.
Once completed, it should have a domino effect on other areas in the city with traffic times predicted to reduce by around a third between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Al Khail Road.
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