RELATED ARTICLES: RTA to award Canal contracts by year end | Sheikh Mohammad green lights infrastructure projects | Business Bay Canal extension approved His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the Dubai Water Canal project,it has been announced. The project, which extends the Dubai Creek, will create a new water passage from Business Bay to Jumeirah beach. It will be three kilometres in length and 80 to 120 metres in width. Work is expected to start within the next few weeks, Sheikh Mohammad said during a launch ceremony at Safa Park. The construction of infrastructure (construction of bridges and drilling of the canal course) will amount to $544.5 million, and all construction works are scheduled to be completed by 2017. Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the Board and executive director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said that works on the project had been split into three contracts. “The first and second relate to the construction of crossings over the Canal linking with the key roads intercepting the Canal course; which are Sheikh Zayed Road spanning eight lanes in each direction, and three lanes on each side of Al Wasl Road and Jumeirah Road,” he said. “These crossings are constructed 8.5 meters above the water level, thus allowing for a free navigation in the canal 24 hours a day. The third contract encompasses the drilling and landscaping works as well as the construction of four pedestrian crossings.” “Four marine stations will be constructed to ease the mobility of the public and promote the public and tourist transport. The marine transit modes are expected to ferry more than six million passengers per annum, according to the marine transport plan in Dubai,” he added. Initially, the project will see a bridge constructed on Sheikh Zayed Road, near Safa Park. A canal will connect the Creek extension from the Business Bay side, cutting across Sheikh Zayed Road, to Jumeirah. Four pedestrian bridges are also set to be built, one of which will link to a four storey shopping mall, which is set to be constructed. A number of other buildings are pencilled in for construction on both sides of the canal, starting from the Business Bay area. The Dubai Water Canal will add about six kilometres to the Dubai waterfront and the project will provide an area of more than 80,000 square metres, which will be designated as public realms. It will contain vital facilities, which will meet the needs of all community segments. The project will encompass new shopping and entertainment centres, linked through a specifically designed bridge. More than 450 new restaurants will be developed, along with four luxury hotels. Docking stations for large yachts will also be built At the entrance of the Project from Sheikh Zayed Road, an iconic Trade Centre will be constructed comprising 4 levels, including one underground level and three elevated levels linking the Business Bay with the project zone in a total area of more than 50,000 square metres. It is hoped that the project will attract 20 to 22 million visitors annually. The Dubai Water Canal’ will have a depth of six meters and bridges above it will rise more than eight meters, offering free navigation for deluxe yachts extending up to 200 feet. The canal will contribute to renewing the water of the entire Business Bay Canal automatically without any need for hydraulic pumps. An extra flushing capacity will be added to the Dubai Creek when the Canal is connected to Business Bay, by approximately 250 million cubic meter per year. The total tidal water exchange through the Canal is estimated to be around 800 million Cubic metre per year, and the Canal is anticipated to have a cooling effect, benchmarking to a similar Project “Cheong Gye Cheon” manmade canal in Seoul, where the recorded thermal reduction reached -3.6 C. “The RTA will carry out a number of improvements in main roads network intercepting the course of the Canal, besides making some improvements at the surrounding areas such as Jumeirah and Safa; including the construction of service roads at the two banks of the Canal in the surrounding areas such as Jumeirah and Safa to ease the transiting between these areas.” “As for pedestrians, a free and safe navigation will be provided through the construction of four pedestrian crossings above the Canal including one bridge that contains convenient stores in addition to other tracks designated for practicing light sports such jogging and cycling across the two banks of the Canal. It also covers landscaping works on both sides of the Canal such as greens, benches, relaxation areas and a host of diverse tourist projects and facilities,” added Al Tayer.
Sheikh Mohammad launches $544.5mn Dubai Water Canal project
