Acting on the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai has awarded a contract to construct the Al Khaleej Street Tunnel Project. This project aims to complement the ongoing development of the Al Shindagha Corridor, in order to accommodate the rapid population growth and urbanization occurring in the area.
The project is being overseen by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council. Also, the new tunnel will extend from the end of the ramp of Infinity Bridge in Deira to the intersection of Al Khaleej and Cairo Streets. It will feature six lanes stretching 1,650 metres, capable of handling up to 12,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.
Read more: Dubai’s RTA announces completion of phase one of ‘Services 360’
Corridor scope and scale
According to Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, the Al Khaleej Street Tunnel is part of the Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project – one of the expansive projects currently being undertaken by the RTA. He explained that this corridor extends 13 kilometres along Sheikh Rashid Road, Al Mina Street, Al Khaleej Street, and Cairo Street, encompassing the upgrade of 15 intersections. The project is set to benefit numerous residential and developmental communities, including Dubai Islands, Dubai Waterfront, Dubai Maritime City, and Mina Rashid. It serves around one million people and is projected to cut travel times from 104 minutes to just 16 minutes by 2030.
Intersection transformation, Cairo street improvements
Al Tayer further elaborated that the Al Khaleej Street Project, which is part of Phase 4 of the overall initiative, covers the construction of a 1650-metre tunnel encompassing three lanes in each direction. He stated that this project will provide a free traffic flow from the Infinity Bridge towards Deira and back. The scope also includes transforming the crossing of the Cairo and Al Wuheida Streets from a roundabout to a signalized intersection, as well as improving Cairo Street and connecting the ramp of the bridge from Dubai Islands to the new tunnel on Al Khaleej Street northward. Al Tayer further mentioned that this phase of the project will serve the residents of Abu Hail, Al Wuheida, and Al Mamzar, along with development projects like Dubai Islands, Dubai Waterfront, Waterfront Market, and Hamriya Port.
Road construction and junction upgrades
Furthermore, Al Tayer explained that the RTA is currently working on a 4.8-kilometre improvement project on Sheikh Rashid Street, extending from the intersection of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street to Falcon intersection on Al Mina Street. He stated that the project entails constructing three bridges totalling 3.1 kilometres in length, which can accommodate 19,400 vehicles per hour across all lanes.
He also highlighted that the first bridge is 1,335 metres long with three lanes, facilitating the traffic flow between Sheikh Rashid Road and Falcon Intersection, and accommodating up to 10,800 vehicles per hour in both directions. The second bridge is three lanes and extends 780 metres, serving traffic from Falcon Intersection in the direction of Al Wasl Road and accommodating 5,400 vehicles per hour. Moreover, he said the third bridge is 985 metres long with two lanes, serving traffic inbound from Jumeirah Street heading to Al Mina Street toward Al Wasl Street, and accommodating 3,200 vehicles per hour.
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