HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai, announced the opening of Improvement of Al Awir Road and Entrances of International City Project (Phase I) on Saturday, July 14. The Project has been undertaken in collaboration with Nakheel, the master developer of International City, in the light of the Traffic Impacts Study commissioned for International City and Dragon Mart, especially after the opening of the extension of Dragon Mart and the increased snarls developing in the area.

“The opening of Al Awir Road Improvement Project (Phase I) will contribute to the smooth flow of traffic from International City heading to Downtown Dubai. It included the construction of a bridge with an estimated capacity of 1000 vehicles per hour, which will ease the traffic pressure on the R/A at the junction of Al Awir and Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Streets. It will be easy for motorists coming from Hatta to access the Dragon Mart and the International City via Al Awir Road,” said Al Tayer.

“The contractor is completing final construction works in the Project that aims to ensure the smooth traffic movement on Al Awir Road from the intersection of Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road to the R/A of Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Street, and improve the left and U-turns from the International City & Dragon Mart. It involved the construction of a free interchange in the form of a two-lane flyover from Warsan (1) Street to Al Awir Road westward in the direction of Dubai Downtown.

“It will enable turns for traffic running from Al Awir Road to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, free traffic movement from Hatta to Dubai via Al Awir Road directly to Warsan (1) Street and entrances to the International City & Dragon Mart through a one-lane bridge. In addition, it includes a 3-lane service road parallel to Al Awir Road in both directions to ensure free traffic movement and separate it from the traffic of the International City, Dragon Mart and Al Warqaa.  It also included turning the primary four R/As of the International City (International City Street-1) into signalised junctions, and widening the existing lane by adding one or two lanes in some sectors,” added Al Tayer.

Phase II

RTA is currently working on Phase II of the Improvement of Al Awir Road and entrances of the International City Project. It encompasses improvements on Al Manama Street, upgrading its intersections with Warsan (1) Street, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, and the extension of the International City Street (Main entrance of the International City).

Works also include upgrading Al Manama-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road intersection, and widening the flyover passing over Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road from three to four lanes in each direction, which will increase the capacity of the bridge from 4500 vehicles per hour to 6000 vehicles per hour. It will increase the number of lanes of slipways extending from Ras Al Khor Road to Sharjah, and from the International City to Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi, from one lane to two lanes. This increase will double the capacity of these lanes from 800 vehicles per hour to 1600 vehicles per hour.

Works also include widening Al Manama Street between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and the entrance of the International City from three to six lanes in each direction. This improvement will increase the intake of the road by 1500 vehicles per hour per lane. Al Manama Street will also be widened in the sector from the entrance of the International City to the Academic City Street from two to five lanes in each direction, which will enhance the capacity of this street from 3000 vehicles per hour to 7500 vehicles per hour.

Phase II also includes upgrading the intersection of Al Manama Street with the entrance of the International City by converting it into a surface signalised junction enabling free movement in all directions. Works include constructing a flyover of three lanes in each direction to allow traffic to cross freely over Al Manama Street that will increase the traffic flow by 4500 vehicles per hour.

The existing surface intersection of Al Manama-Warsan (1) Streets will be upgraded from a one-directional junction enabling movement leftward from Al Manama Street to Al Awir Road only, to a signalised junction enabling traffic movement in all directions. Works also include the construction of a two-lane flyover to enable free traffic movement from Warsan (1) Street leftward in the direction of the International City Street, which will increase the traffic intake to 3000 vehicles per hour.