RTA announces opening of $353mn roads leading to Expo 2020
Authority says that opening of Phase 3 and Phase 4 of roads leading to Expo 2020 site will ensure smooth flow of traffic
Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the opening of Phase 3 and Phase 4 of roads leading to the Expo 2020 project, including bridges and roads extending 5km and 17km respectively, at a cost of $353 million.
In a statement, the RTA said that works completed included the construction of intersections of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street, with both Expo and Al Yalayes Streets, building two flyovers on Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street at Dubai Investment Park, and widening Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street from two to five lanes in each direction.
“The improvement of roads leading to Expo is one of the biggest roads’ projects currently undertaken by RTA to meet the needs of hosting Expo 2020 in Dubai. Due to the immense nature of the project, it had been divided into six phases to ensure the delivery of all works on the prescribed timeline, well before the opening of Expo,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of RTA.
Explaining the nature of work undertaken for Phase 3 of the project, Al Tayer said that it covered the construction of bridges and roads extending 3 km and 6.5 km respectively. It also involved upgrading the intersection of Expo-Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Streets into a flyover ensuring free traffic in all directions.
Work included elevating Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street along with collector roads by constructing five bridges and four turns. It also included constructing ramps to ensure a smooth flow of traffic from Expo Road northward to Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street in the direction of Dubai-Al Ain Road.
“In a nutshell, Phase 3 of the project covered the construction of a flyover at the intersection of Expo Road with Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street, which increases the capacity of the street from 2000 vehicles per hour to 4500 vehicles per hour in an East-West sector of Expo Street. It will ensure a smooth traffic flow to and from Expo,” said Al Tayer.
“These ramps will ease the entry to Expo from Expo Street to the south and exit from Expo via Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street to Expo Road northwards. An exit from Expo is also provided through a turn on the flyover across the extension of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street in the direction of the junction.
“The project also includes the improvement of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street in the direction of Al Maktoum International Airport through the construction of a new 5-lane street in each direction. The street extends 2 km from the intersection of Expo Road with Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street in the direction of Al Maktoum International Airport. Works also included widening Expo Road from four to six lanes in each direction over a 4-km sector,” Al Tayer continued.
Phase 4 was aimed at streamlining the traffic flow between Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street and Al Yalayes Street. Works completed included transforming a signalised junction into a flyover to increase the street capacity from 3,000 vehicles to 10,000 vehicles per hour in the East-West direction of Al Yalayes Street. This will ensure a better traffic flow to Expo and JAFZA in the direction of Emirates Road via Al Yalayes Street, he added.
“Works accomplished covered improving three junctions and widening Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street to 5 lanes in each direction over a 4.6 km stretch. The intersection of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street with Al Yalayes Street has been transformed into a flyover ensuring free traffic flow in all directions,” Al Tayer explained.
“Works included elevating Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street and collector roads into four bridges, besides providing turns and ramps to ensure a smooth traffic from Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street Westwards to Al Yalayes Street Northwards in the direction of Sheikh Zayed Road, and from Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street Eastwards to Al Yalayes Street Southwards in the direction of Emirates Road.
“The second and third junctions have been improved through the construction of two bridges of two lanes in each direction of the Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street fitted with signalised junctions to streamline the traffic bound to Dubai Investment Park complex. Works also included constructing a 2-lane service road in each direction on the Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street and Al Yalayes Street, and improving entries of Dubai Investment Park from Al Yalayes Street. All in all, Phase 4 covered the construction of bridges spanning 2 km and roads extending 10.3 km in total,” concluded Al Tayer.
