Major Deira-bound bridge on Airport Road opens on Friday

Gulf News -- The long-awaited Deira-bound bridge at Marrakech Intersection (adjacent to Emirates airline headquarters) on Airport Road to ease traffic open on Friday, said officials.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) made the announcement on Thursday as part of the second contract of the Airport Road Improvement Project, a Dh404-million initiative to accommodate a surge in the number of airport passengers expected to surpass 92 million by 2020.

The new structure is expected to greatly reduce congestion in that area of Dubai, the RTA said in a statement.

The Marrakech Intersection project includes an overpass on the Airport Road, with three lanes in each direction, and a direct ramp from the bridge heading to Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport negating the need to wait at the traffic lights.

The intersection also includes construction of a two-lane tunnel to serve traffic heading left from Airport Road towards Marrakech.

Estimates show that the project will slash waiting time at the intersection from seven minutes to less than one minute.