Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened the initial phase of Latifa bint Hamdan Street and Umm Al Sheef Street. Phase II of the project will be opened in the first quarter of 2019. The project has a cost is AED800 million and links Jumeirah with Al Khail Road and Parallel Roads (First Al Khail Road, and Al Asayel Street) through a network of bridges extending 7.4 km.

HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA highlighted the strategic objectives of the Project. “The aim of this Project is to enhance the roads network extending east-west and link them with the main roads such as Sheikh Zayed Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road. It also supports the urban and economic upswing in the surrounding areas, besides reducing the traffic density on Al Wasl Street by 10% in the sector between Al Manara and Al Hadeeqa Streets. It also serves the new urban developments such as Dubai Hills, Meydan, Al Khail Gate and Dubailand. It serves residential communities such as Umm Suqeim, Jumeirah, Al Wasl, and Al Qouz Residential Area,” he said.

The Project features two-level bridges extending 7.4 km, including a bridge crossing over Dubai Metro Red Line. The bridges will reduce the transit time on Latifa bint Hamdan Street between the Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road from 12 minutes to 4 minutes. It will also ease the movement of trucks from and to Al Qouz Industrial Area.

The Project will serve eight urban development projects by 2020, and ten others by 2030. It will also serve four residential districts by 2020 and four others by 2030. About 680 thousand people will benefit from the Project by 2020, and the number of beneficiaries will rise to 1.2 m by 2030. The Project will serve five industrial areas by 2020 and five others by 2030. About 370 thousand workers will benefit from the project by 2020, and the number will rise to 724 thousand by 2030.

Phase 1:

Phase I includes the improvement of Latifa bint Hamdan and Umm Al Sheef Streets from Al Safa Junction (2^nd Interchange) to Al Manara Junction on the Sheikh Zayed Road (3^rd Interchange). It also includes linking Jumeirah with Al Khail Road and the Parallel Rods (First Al Khail Road and Al Asayel Road) through constructing two-level roads and bridges providing free traffic movement from Umm Al Sheef street in the direction of Al Wasl Street and Sheikh Zayed Road up to Latifa bint Hamdan Street. It also includes extending Al Zomorrod Street eastward to the Sheikh Zayed Road, and the two bridges link at the Sheikh Zayed Road through bridges providing free exits. The bridges passing over and under the Route of the Dubai Metro Red Line were accomplished without affecting the operation of the metro.

Works included the construction of a junction at the Latifa bint Hamdan Street with the First Al Khail Road and a signalised junction underneath the bridge. Works also include the construction and improvement of Umm Al Sheef – Al Wasl Streets junction, main surface roads, service roads and landscaping works along the Sheikh Zayed Road between Al Safa and Al Manara Interchanges as well as the junction of Al Manara and Umm Al Sheef Streets, and Latifa and Al Zomorrod Streets.

Phase II

Phase II aims to improve the link between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road, and between Jumeirah to the west and Dubailand to the east. It also aims to improve the entry points of Al Qouz areas and other development projects. It also includes improving the existing road extending three km from First Al Khail Road to the junction of Al Khail Road. Works are currently underway in improving the junctions along the sector.

The junction of Latifa bint Hamdan and Al Asayel Streets is upgraded from a surface signalised junction to a flyover comprising a first deck bridge of three lanes in each direction to serve the traffic movement on Latifa bint Hamdan Street. It also includes the construction of second Deck Bridge of two lanes in each direction to serve the traffic movement on Al Asayel Street and to upgrade the surface intersection to reduce the waiting time at the existing intersection from three to less than a minute. It will also reduce the traffic congestion by 78% during the evening peak hours, and increase the capacity of the junction by 40%.

The Project also includes improving Al Khail Road junction through a ramp to serve the traffic movement heading northward to Al Khail Road and the Business Bay Crossing; which will ease the congestion at the intersection with Al Khail Road.