Dubai: New bridges, intersections towards Oud Metha to cut travel time by 15 mins

A new project in Dubai will slash travel time from 20 minutes to just 5 minutes on routes connected to Oud Metha Street, the Roads and Transport Authority announced.

The RTA awarded a Dh600-million worth contract for a project that connects Al Asayel Street to Al Khail Road via Al Nawras Street and provides an exit to Oud Metha and Al Nawras Streets.

The project will oversee the construction of four major intersections, 4,300 metres of bridges, and 14km of roads. This development will cater to areas like Zabeel, Al Jaddaf, Oud Metha, Umm Hurair, Latifa Hospital, and Al Wasl Club.

The project is expected to serve an estimated population of over 420,000 by 2030. The final results are expected to enhance the capacity of Oud Metha Street from 10,400 vehicles per hour to 15,600 vehicles per hour, marking a 50 per cent increase. It will also reduce travel time from 20 minutes to just 5 minutes, leading to an improvement of 75 per cent.

A part of the Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development Project, here is how the four new intersections will come up in the respective areas.

The first intersection will be located at the intersection of Oud Metha Street and Sheikh Rashid Street, with a new left-turn lane for traffic from both the locations. This will boost capacity to 1,800 vehicles per hour.

Additionally, improvements will be made to the service road on Sheikh Rashid Street between the existing bridge and the exit at Al Zahrawi Street to alleviate current traffic congestion and enhance road safety.

Furthermore, the number of right-turn lanes for traffic coming from Sheikh Rashid Street towards Dubai-Al Ain Road will be increased from two to three, raising capacity to 4,000 vehicles per hour.

The second intersection will be located at the intersection of Oud Metha Street with Al Asayel and Al Nawras Streets. The development in this area will also involve the construction of two bridges connecting Al Asayel Street to Al Khail Road via Al Nawras Street.

The first bridge, with two lanes, will accommodate 2,400 vehicles per hour and serve traffic from Al Asayel towards Al Nawras. The second bridge, featuring three lanes and accommodating 3,600 vehicles per hour, will handle traffic from Al Khail Road towards Al Asayel.

A separate two-lane bridge will be constructed to facilitate left-turn traffic from Al Asayel to Oud Metha Street, with a capacity of 2,400 vehicles per hour. Additional improvements will be made to the road leading to Al Wasl Club’s entrance, as well as the entrances and exits of Al Nawras Street, to resolve the current traffic overlap.

The third intersection will be located at the intersection of Al Nawras Street and Al Khail Road, and will see the construction of a two-lane bridge to accommodate traffic from the two roads, continuing towards Business Bay Crossing. This bridge will have a capacity of 3,000 vehicles per hour.

Additionally, Al Nawras Street will be upgraded by increasing the exit capacity towards Al Khail Road to two lanes. A service road will be constructed on both sides of Al Nawras Street, with parking spaces provided as part of the upgrades.

The fourth intersection will be located at the intersection of Zabeel Palace Street with Al Khail and Oud Metha Street. A lane on the left-turn ramp will be built for traffic from Al Khail Road to Dubai-Al Ain Road, doubling capacity from 900 vehicles per hour to 1,800 vehicles per hour.

A single-lane tunnel with a capacity of 1,200 vehicles per hour will also be constructed to serve traffic coming from Dubai-Al Ain Road to Al Nawras Street, helping to address current traffic overlap.

The project also includes increasing the number of lanes on the existing bridge, which currently serves traffic from Al Khail Road towards Oud Metha Street. The bridge will be expanded from two to three lanes, increasing its capacity from 2,200 vehicles per hour to 3,300 vehicles per hour.

Al Asayel Street Development is one of the largest strategic road projects being undertaken by the RTA as part of the Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development Project.

The authority had already developed Ras Al Khor Road from its intersection with Dubai-Al Ain Road to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, covering 8 km. It also constructed several bridges totalling 2,000 metres and expanded Ras Al Khor Road from three lanes to six lanes in each direction in addition to a two-lane service road on both sides.

These upgrades have increased Ras Al Khor Road’s capacity to 10,000 vehicles per hour, cutting travel time from 20 minutes to 7 minutes and significantly improving traffic flow and safety.

The project serves several major development areas, including the Lagoons, Dubai Creek, Meydan Horizon, Ras Al Khor, Al Wasl, and Nad Al Hamar.