Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a contract worth $122.4 million for the upgradation of the Falcon Junction, as part of a bid to improve the Al Shandagha Roads Corridor, so as to cope with the sustained urbanisation of the location, it has said.
In a statement, the RTA said that the Falcon Junction work is a part of the Al Shandagha Roads Corridor Improvement Project, which has been undertaken over five phases, extending 13 km along the Sheikh Rashid, Al Mina, Al Khaleej and Cairo Streets. Once completed, the Falcon Junction, which borders Al Khaleej, Khaled bin Al Waleed and Al Ghubaiba Streets, will link up with the Shandagha Bridge (Infinity) northwards, it added.
Due to the massive scope of the Al Shandagha Corridor Project, which was a price tag of $1.45 billion, it has been split into five phases, the RTA explained, adding that two phases have been completed.
These include the upgrading of the junction of the Sheikh Rashid-Oud Mehta Streets junction (WAFI Junction), and the intersection of the Sheikh Rashid-Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Streets. This included the construction of two bridges on the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street, comprising of two lanes in each direction.
It also included the construction of a one-lane bridge from Zabeel Street in the direction of Sheikh Rashid Street and a tunnel on the Sheikh Rashid Street, in the direction of Al Mankhool Junction, comprising of four lanes in each direction.
On the project, Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, the Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said: “Upgrading the Falcon Junction will ensure free traffic movement across Al Shandagha Corridor (Al Khaleej and Al Mina Streets), and step up the intake of both streets. It will also enhance traffic safety, provide entry/exit points for Rashid Port, and provide more parking spaces under the new bridge to serve the area.”
“The project includes the construction of two bridges along Al Khaleej Street. The first bridge extends 750 m, northwards, and the second, stretches 1,075 m southwards; comprising six lanes in each direction with a capacity of 12,000 vehicles per hour, per direction,” noted Al Tayer.
The scope of work includes construction of a single-lane 250-m bridge for a right turn from Khaled bin Al Waleed Street to Al Khaleej Street with a capacity of 1,600 vehicles per hour. Furthermore, the construction of a two-lane 500-m tunnel for left turns from Khaled bin Al Waleed St to Al Mina St capable of handling 3,200 vehicles per hour was needed, in addition to a surface signalised junction linking Al Khaleej with Al Ghubaiba and Khaled bin Al Waleed Streets, the RTA statement added.
“The project includes other works like pavements, lighting, traffic systems, rainwater drainage network and irrigation systems,” concluded Al Tayer.