Two new bridges has been opened by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to serve Silicon Oasis and Academic city. The two 120-meter bridges are part of the Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan street improvement project that extends 3 kilometres from the intersection with the Dubai-Al Ain road up to the Academic City roundabout. The bridges comprises of four lanes in each direction and have the capacity to cater to 14,400 vehicles per hour in both directions and ensure a smooth traffic flow along the Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street. The project serves residents of Dubai Silicon Oasis with a student population of 27,500 in over 25 universities and colleges, as well as the surrounding development projects.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said that the project had been undertaken in response to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, to keep pace with the ongoing development across the city.
“The project is part of RTA’s master plan to improve roads, bridges, crossings, and tunnels to accommodate the growing traffic volumes and ease mobility across the emirate,” he said. “It is also in line with RTA’s strategic plan for developing the infrastructure of Dubai’s roads and public transport networks.”
RTA has been developing integrated solutions for roads and marine networks to match the development plans and demographic growth, as well as encouraging the development and investment in the emirate.
The project’s work included improving the entrances and exits of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street by connecting it with the intersection of Dubai-Al Ain Road. The street was also widened to four lanes in each direction in a sector extending 3 km and constructing the two 120-metre bridges at the intersection of the Dubai Silicon Oasis.
A signalised intersection was constructed beneath the two bridges that serve 20 lanes in all directions with a capacity of 8,000 vehicles per hour to ensure a seamless traffic flow to Dubai Silicon Oasis and Zayed University. The project also improved traffic at the Academic City roundabout and highway street lighting services.
According to Al Tayer the improvement of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street eastward in the direction of Al Awir complements RTA’s efforts that started with the widening of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street to 4 lanes in each direction over a 25 km stretch from the intersection of Dubai-Al Ain Road to the existing roundabout on Al Yalayes Street.
The work involved constructing several intersections with roads in the area including a flyover at the intersection of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street with Latifa Bint Hamdan Road nearby the entrance of the Global Village for traffic inbound from Emirates Road, signalised roundabout at the intersection with Al Qudra Road, and a signalised surface junction with Hessa Road. “The traffic solutions undertaken are temporary and will be upgraded in the future with an array of final traffic solutions,” said Al Tayer.
