Dubai RTA launches major intersection upgrade to boost traffic flow

Dubai RTA awards new contract
Image credits: Dubai Media Office | Cropped by GBN
By Shilpa Annie Joseph, Sr. Content Head
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Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded the Contract for Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street Intersection Development with Al Awir Road and Al Manama Street.

This move comes in line with the directives of the wise leadership to enhance the infrastructure of the road network and public transport systems to meet the requirements of urban development, population growth, and improve the quality of life.

The RTA project encompasses the construction of 2,300 meters of bridges, along with the expansion of lanes and paving of service roads on both Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street and Al Awir Road.

Additionally, it will include the creation of new entrances and exits to better serve residential and development areas along the corridor, further enhancing accessibility and traffic flow in the region.

The development is set to significantly boost the street’s capacity, increasing it from 5,200 vehicles per hour in both directions to 14,400 vehicles per hour, a remarkable 176 percent increase. This improvement will also dramatically reduce travel time, cutting it down from 20 minutes to just five minutes.

According to RTA, the project is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2028, marking a major milestone in enhancing traffic efficiency in the area.

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HE Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer
Director-General,
Chairman of
Board of Executive Directors
Dubai RTA

“Undertaking this project is part of RTA’s master plan to develop the roads, bridges, crossings, and tunnels network to accommodate growing traffic volumes, enhance mobility, and ensure smoother traffic flow across Dubai. This plan supports the needs of urban expansion and population growth. The RTA project serves residential and development areas with a combined population of residents and visitors exceeding 600,000. The project includes converting the existing roundabout into a grade-separated intersection that enables free-flowing traffic movements in all directions. The works involve constructing main bridges on Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street with four lanes in each direction, along with building ramps for right- and left-turn movements, each comprising two lanes.”

“The project also includes constructing a bridge at the intersection of Al Awir Road with Emirates Road to serve traffic heading towards Al Awir and Sharjah, as well as developing parallel service roads along Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street and Al Awir Road in both directions to provide safe access points serving the surrounding development areas,” Al Tayer added.

Intersection of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Street with Al Manama Street

The Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, further explained that, “The project includes upgrading the surface roads at the intersection of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street with Al Manama Street. The scope involves widening Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street from two to four lanes in each direction to increase capacity and enhancing the signalized surface intersection to improve its operational efficiency and expand its traffic capacity. The project will also provide safe access points to serve the surrounding development areas.”

RTA’s Commitment to Urban Growth

The improvement of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street forms part of RTA’s wider efforts, which began with the development of the street’s extension through the construction of a four-lane road in each direction over a 25-kilometre stretch, from its intersection with Dubai–Al Ain Road to the roundabout on Al Yalayis Street. The works included upgrading several intersections along the surrounding road network.

RTA said in a statement that a grade-separated interchange was constructed at the intersection of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street with Latifa bint Hamdan Street near the entrance to Global Village for traffic inbound from Emirates Road. A signalized roundabout was also built at the intersection with Al Qudra Street, along with a signalized surface intersection at the junction with Hessa Street. These traffic solutions represent interim improvements that will be further upgraded in the future through a package of final traffic enhancements.

The project also included improving Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street along the section extending from its intersection with Dubai–Al Ain Road to the Academic City roundabout, covering about three kilometers. The works involved constructing two bridges at the Dubai Silicon Oasis intersection, each 120 meters long and providing four lanes in each direction, with a total capacity of 14,400 vehicles per hour in both directions.

A signalized surface intersection was also constructed beneath the two bridges, comprising 20 lanes in all directions with a capacity of 8,000 vehicles per hour. These improvements were designed to ensure smooth traffic flow towards Dubai Silicon Oasis and Zayed University, as well as to enhance traffic movement at the Academic City roundabout.

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