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Dubai traffic: New bridge to cut travel time from World Trade Centre from 10 minutes to 2
The 500-metre bridge will serve motorists leaving Dubai World Trade Centre and One Central, while more bridges and tunnels are set to open in the coming months
- PUBLISHED: Thu 13 Aug 2026, 11:56 AM
A new bridge opening in Dubai on Friday will cut travel time for motorists leaving Dubai World Trade Centre from 10 minutes to just two minutes during major events.
The 500-metre, two-lane bridge will serve traffic from Dubai World Trade Centre and One Central towards the intersection of Al Mustaqbal Street and Za’abeel Palace Street, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Thursday.
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The bridge is part of the Dh633-million Al Mustaqbal Street Development Project, a major road upgrade that will eventually increase capacity along the street by 33 per cent.
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Once the wider project is completed, Al Mustaqbal Street will be able to handle 8,800 vehicles per hour in both directions, up from the current 6,600. Journey time along the corridor is also expected to drop from 13 minutes to six minutes.
What changes for motorists
The bridge opening on Friday is particularly aimed at improving traffic movement around Dubai World Trade Centre, where major exhibitions and conferences can bring increase in vehicles.
The new route will provide motorists leaving Dubai World Trade Centre and One Central with a direct connection towards Al Mustaqbal Street and Za’abeel Palace Street.
The wider Al Mustaqbal Street project stretches 3.5km from Financial Centre Street to Za’abeel Palace Street. The road will be widened from three to four lanes in each direction, while around 2km of bridges and tunnels are being constructed.
The development will also provide free-flow connections at the intersections of Al Mustaqbal Street with Exhibition Street and Trade Centre Street.
According to RTA, the project is expected to benefit around half a million residents and visitors and improve access to Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Za’abeel, Downtown Dubai and Business Bay.
Three tunnels coming in 2027
More changes are planned for motorists using the busy corridor.
Three tunnels spanning a combined 1,500 metres are being constructed at the intersection of Al Mustaqbal Street and Trade Centre Street and are scheduled to open in February 2027.
The largest will be a three-lane tunnel on Al Mustaqbal Street towards Deira, with capacity for 4,500 vehicles per hour.
A second, two-lane tunnel will allow motorists to turn left from Al Mustaqbal Street towards Trade Centre Street. It will serve traffic travelling towards both Deira and Jebel Ali and have a capacity of 3,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.
A third, single-lane tunnel will serve One Central and accommodate up to 1,500 vehicles per hour.
The project also includes a new pedestrian bridge on Al Sukook Street, upgraded pedestrian walkways, a cycling track and improvements to existing intersections.
More bridges to open
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said work on the Al Mustaqbal Street project has crossed 50 per cent completion and is progressing ahead of the approved timeline.
It is being carried out alongside the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project, where construction has exceeded 85 per cent.
RTA plans to open another bridge by the end of August for traffic travelling from Sheikh Rashid Road towards 2nd December Street.
The final bridge under that project is scheduled to open in October and will serve motorists travelling from Al Majlis Street towards 2nd December Street.
The World Trade Centre Roundabout project will ultimately include five bridges stretching a combined 5km and convert the existing roundabout into an at-grade intersection.
Another major road project in the area is the Oud Maitha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project which is scheduled to fully open by the end of August. It includes four major intersections, 4.3km of bridges and 14km of roads.
That project is expected to cut journey time from 20 minutes to 10 minutes and serve areas with a projected population of more than 420,000 by 2030.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.