The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai announces the start of installation of a toll gate (Salik) on Sheikh Zayed Road just before the Intersection of Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Yalayes Road (7^th Interchange). The gate will become operational on October 24, 2018, following the opening of the 7^th Interchange as well as Al Yalayes and Al Asayel Roads project costing about AED1.2 billion.

The step complements RTA’s Strategic Plan aimed at improving and integrating roads networks, facilities, routes and services of public transport as well as road and transport systems and technologies. It forms part of the measures taken to ensure the smooth flow of traffic in the Emirate, including measures needed to redistribute the traffic movements and divert them to alternative roads to ease the pressure on highways and main roads.

The Project is part of the parallel and supporting roads of the Sheikh Zayed Road, and diverts part of the traffic from the Sheikh Zayed Road to Parallel Roads such as Al Asayel Road, Al Khail Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Road and the Emirates Road through Al Yalayes Road.

Al Yalayes and Al Asayel Roads project also contributes to the business activities and the movement of goods from and to Jebel Ali Port. It provides extra entry/exit points for development projects in the area such as Al Furjan, Discovery Gardens and Jebel Ali Development.

“Through the installation of Salik Jebel Ali Toll Gate, RTA aims to redistribute the traffic movement to main roads and divert part of the traffic movement from Jebel Ali in the direction of Sharjah. Motorists will be able to use alternative roads such as the Emirates Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Road, and Al Khail Road. Thus it will ease the traffic pressure on the Sheikh Zayed Road; one of the busiest traffic corridors in the Emirate,” said Al Tayer.

“The new Gate is expected to reduce the traffic flow on the Sheikh Zayed Road by 25% and encourage people to use public transport means. This is especially relevant as the Sheikh Zayed Road has a host of mass transit means such as the Metro Red Line (extending 52 km connecting 28 stations), and 12 bus routes served by 156 buses that make 1400 journeys per day.

“The development of the 7^th Interchange and Al Yalayes, Al Asayel Streets will provide additional capacity to the Parallel Roads amounting to 12 thousand vehicles per hour in both directions. It will also serve the urbanization witnessed by Dubai. It will also increase the capacity of Al Yalayes Road to 20,000 vehicles per hour in both directions, and cut the journey time between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to about 4 minutes.

7^th Interchange

The construction of the 7^th Interchange Project of the Sheikh Zayed Road aims to improve the capacity of the traffic flow from SZR to Al Yalayes Road eastward, to improve traffic flow from SZR to Dubal Street and to improve traffic flow from Al Yalayes Road to Dubal Street; in both directions.

The project comprises the construction of a bridge of four lanes branching out of Al Yalayes Road into two bridges of two lanes each at a capacity of 3000 vehicles per hour. The first one is bound to Jebel Ali, and the other one leads to Dubal Street, and Jebel Ali Port.

It also includes improving the right-side turn to make three lanes at a capacity of 3000 vehicles per hour stretching out of the Sheikh Zayed Road to Al Yalayes Road in the East, and two lanes from Al Yalayes Road to the Sheikh Zayed Road in the direction of Dubai. It covers the construction of two lanes in the direction of the Sheikh Zayed Road and on to Dubal Street, and one lane from Dubal Street to the Sheikh Zayed Road in the direction of Jebel Ali. The project also includes improving the light signals at Gate No. 1 and 2 of Jebel Ali Port, and the construction of another bridge of two lanes to serve the traffic inbound from DUBAL Street in Jebel Free Zone & Port crossing over the Sheikh Zayed Road in the direction of Al Yalayes Road eastward

Al Yalayes and Al Asayel Roads

As part of the phases of the Parallel Roads Project, Al Yalayes Road is being constructed over six km extending from the 7th Interchange of Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road at Al Houdh Interchange. The RTA will also construct Al Asayel Road extending 5 km to link with JAFZA, Jumeirah Islands, and Emirates Hills.

Phase I includes increasing the number of lanes of Al Yalayes Road from three to five lanes in each direction from SZR to Sh MBZ Road and Emirates Road. In a subsequent stage, the number of lanes of Al Yalayes Road will be increased from three to five lanes in the direction from Sh MBZ Road and Emirates Road SZR such that the Road will be of five lanes in both directions. Thus, the capacity of Al Yalayes Road will increase by 66% from 12,000 to 20,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.

Phase II also includes completing the remaining lanes from and to the upper interchanges to provide traffic movement from and to First Al Khail and Al Asayel Roads. The scope of works includes the construction of two flyovers managed by traffic signals with due consideration given to Etihad Rail Project.

The First is at the intersection of Al Yalayes and First Al Khail Roads, and the second at the intersection of Al Yalayes and Al Asayel Roads. It also includes a flyover to serve the traffic inbound from Al Asayel Road southward to Al Yalayes Road eastward.

The project includes the completion of Al Asayel Road Extension over five km with three lanes in each direction with a capacity of 4,500 vehicles per hour per direction. It also includes the construction of six surface light signals on Al Asayel Road to provide entry & exit points for some of the existing development projects such as Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan.

Captions:

• Mattar Al Tayer
• The 7th Interchange enhances the link and eases the mobility between SZR, Sh Mohd bin Zayed Rd and Emirates Rd
• Map showing alternative routes of traffic from Jebel ALi to Al Yalayes Road, and then to Sh. Mohd bin Zayed Rd and Emirates Rd.