Trade Centre bridge to open in Nov

The Dh719.37-million Trade Centre bridge project in Dubai is expected to be completed and opened for traffic by the second half of November.

Work in progress on the Trade Centre bridge project in Dubai. — Supplied photo

“The project encompasses construction of 22 bridges of precast concrete units forming a corridor spanning 4,250 meters comprising two lanes in each direction together with a concrete ramp extending 120 meters added to serve the traffic outbound to Al Maktoum Bridge,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

He said 90 per cent of the works have been completed, and works on most intersecting main roads such as the Shaikh Zayed Road, Shaikh Rashid Road and Zabeel 2 Road have been completed.

Al Tayer said the Trade Centre Bridges Project is by far the largest phase of the parallel roads project, which is one of the biggest road projects currently undertaken by the RTA aimed at linking the Western Parallel Road with the Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Road and Street 312 passing by the World Trade Centre.

The project also serves the traffic in the opposite direction of Street 312 passing by the Trade Centre heading towards Al Maktoum and Al Garhoud Bridges as well as the Dubai-Al Ain Road. It also includes improvements in signalised junctions at the Trade Centre in addition to infrastructure and lighting works.

“The RTA has accomplished key phases of the parallel roads project, the last of which was the opening of vital sectors of the Improvement of the Parallel Roads Project at JAFZA South, extending from the northern part of the road leading to Al Houdh R/A up to the 10^th Interchange on the Shaikh Zayed Road. Project works completed also included improvement of the Eastern and Western Parallel Roads in both directions within Jebel Ali Industrial Area, and JAFZA South, through constructing six bridges and four footbridges to ease the pressure on Shaikh Zayed Rd, and the Industrial Area, besides establishing a link between the investment and economic zones of the Dubai World’s projects, connecting them with the surrounding roads, besides linking Jebel Ali Port with Al Maktoum International Airport, and providing a road leading to the Expo Road of JAFZA. Last May, the RTA opened the service road leading to the Expo Road, and last December it opened a lane linking Al Maktoum Airport with JAFZA South.” said Al Tayer. “It has also opened 12 light signals on the parallel roads project at the Business Bay; linking Shaikh Zayed Road, Al Khail Road and the Business Bay district, and offering a smooth traffic flow in Emaar and Business Bay districts through the Eastern and Western Parallel Roads.”

In September 2011, the RTA opened Phase III of the parallel roads project serving sprawling urban developments in areas such as Jebel Ali Racecourse, Emirates Hills, Springs, Meadows, Jumeirah Islands and Jumeirah Park. The Road, which extends about 20 km, constitutes 14 per cent of the total parallel roads project, and comprises three to four lanes in each direction as well as six bridges and three underpasses crossing the eastern and western roads.

The RTA had earlier opened Phase I of the parallel roads project, including the construction of roads at Al Barsha, and Al Qouz Industrial and Residential Areas extending from Hessa Road to the south up to Meydan Road to the north in a sector extending 15km in the Eastern Parallel Road and 18km in the Western Parallel Road, comprising three lanes in each direction.

The roads intersect several arterial and express roads such as Umm Suqeim Road, Latifa bin Hamdan Road in addition to arterial and local roads, including 25 signalised junctions. Work is up and running in Phase III at Jumeirah Lakes Towers where completion rate has exceeded 75 per cent, and construction works in the project which costs Dhs 450 million are set for full completion by the end of this year.

lily@khaleejtimes.com