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 Phase II of the Parallel Roads Improvement Project at the Business Bay on 8th June. Works under this Phase included improvements to the Western part of the Parallel Roads in the sector between Al Meydan and Financial Streets across the Business Bay. Improvements included widening the street from three to four lanes in each direction as well as building service roads in both directions in most parts of the Project. The Project has been undertaken as part of RTA’s Strategic Plan to ease snarls on the Sheikh Zayed Road.

“Phase 2 covered the construction of a 240-meter flyover on the intersection of Al Sa’ada and Burj Khalifa Boulevard Streets, a 535-meter underpass at the intersection of Al Sa’ada and the Business Bay Streets, and a 500-meter bridge along the extension of Al Sa’ada Street crossing over the Dubai Water Canal. It also included the construction of a 420-meter bridge at the intersection of Al Meydan and First Al Khail Streets, a 420-meter tunnel for left-side turns from Al Sa’ada Street to Meydan Street, and a 340-meter underpass for horses crossing at the Dubai Stables. The Project will ensure a smooth flow of traffic on Al Sa’ada Street, especially in the sector between the Financial Center and Al Meydan Streets, and across Business Bay up to Al Quoz,” explained Al Tayer.

“The two phases of the Parallel Roads Project aims to ease the traffic density by 15% on Sheikh Zayed Road between the 1^st and 2^nd Interchanges by providing additional entry/exit points to the Business Bay and Burj Khalifa Districts. These works will increase the capacity to 20 thousand vehicles per hour in both directions and step up the capacity of Meydan Street. Upon completion, the Project will cut the journey time between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Street from 12 to 2.5 minutes, provide a ramp to Meydan Property Development Project, and ease the traffic pressure on the Financial Center Street. Phases 1 and 2 of the Project include the construction of bridges spanning 5665 meters and tunnels extending 2445 meters,” he added.

Phase I

Last November, the RTA opened Phase I of the Parallel Roads Project at Godolphin District; which included the construction of a 3.5-km bridge of three lanes in each direction across the Dubai Water Canal. The number of lanes rose to five in each direction above Godolphin Stables and Al Meydan Street up to Al Quoz Residential Community.

The project included improving the existing intersection of Al Meydan and Al Khail Streets. Flyovers had been constructed to enable left-side turns to streamline the current overlapping traffic and ease peak-hours congestion. It also included the construction of a two-lane bridge to serve the traffic coming from Al Khail Street in the direction of Sharjah to Al Asayel Street up to the intersection of OudMetha Street. The project had also included the construction of direct entry/exit points for Meydan Property Development Project and four underpasses extending 1150 meters of which 300 meters are covered.