New bridge in Downtown Dubai will help ease rush hour traffic

The National -- Commuters driving into Business Bay and Downtown should experience a smoother journey into work from January with the opening of a new bridge linking Al Khail Road and Financial Center Road.

The extension will take an extra 4,500 vehicles an hour during rush hour, and help take the pressure off existing roads once the expansion of Dubai Mall is complete.

A two-lane one-way bridge extending 1270 metres on single columns over the Dubai Water Canal is to be opened by the Roads and Transport Authority in partnership with Emaar Properties in the new year.

“The project will ease the flow of traffic along the Financial Center Road and surface intersections, thus easing the pressure on the intersections of Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevards,” said Mattar Al Tayer, the RTA director general.

“It will raise the capacity of the road during peaking hours, serve several development projects and ease the pressure on the existing roads network.”

The bridge, which starts from the intersection of Ras Al Khor Road-Al Khail Road, encompasses adding two lanes extending 480 meters to the existing road to enable direct flow of traffic from Dubai-Al Ain Road to Al Khail Road via the upper deck of the Financial Center Road.

Works include providing an entry point for the parking terminal of the extension of Dubai Mall, the largest shopping and entertainment destination in the world capable of receiving more than 100 million visitors per annum.

Expansion works of the Mall include constructing a department for fashion besides the existing mall, adding 75 thousand square meters to the mall area in addition to 25 thousand square meters as parking spaces.