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New Dubai road project to slash journey time from 24 minutes to 5 on Hessa Street
Spanning between E311 and Al Khail Road, it will serve 10 residential and development areas and benefit approximately 650,000 residents
- PUBLISHED: Sun 22 Feb 2026, 11:34 AM
Dubai's RTA has awarded the contract for the second phase of Hessa Street Development, with the project spanning across the 3-km corridor between Al Khail Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. It is set to cut travel time from 24 minutes to just five minutes.
This will include upgrading three major intersections by constructing bridges extending 8,835 metres and a 480-metre tunnel, as well as improvements to entry and exit points along several connecting roads.
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The project increases Hessa Street’s capacity by 100 per cent, from 4,000 vehicles per hour to 8,000 vehicles per hour. It will serve 10 residential and development areas and benefit approximately 650,000 residents.
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The Roads and Transport Authority will open Phase 1 of Hessa Street Development in April, including completed bridges, upgraded intersections, and dedicated cycling tracks.
Phase 2
The second phase will extend along Hessa Street from Al Khail Road to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and include upgrades on Al Khail Road–Hessa Street interchange through expanding Hessa Street from two lanes to four lanes in each direction.
The scope also includes constructing grade-separated collector roads to accommodate loop movements, a two-lane second-level direct ramp serving traffic from Hessa Street to Al Khail Road towards Abu Dhabi, and a third-level two-lane flyover facilitating traffic from Al Khail Road to Hessa Street in the direction of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
The total length of bridges will reach 2,215 metres, with the upgraded interchange expected to accommodate 18,200 vehicles per hour. The project further provides for a 525-metre, two-lane braided ramp to eliminate traffic overlap between Al Khail Road and Al Khamila Street. The ramp will accommodate about 2,800 vehicles per hour.
The project also includes upgrading Al Khamila Street junction with Al Khail Road and Al Asayel Street. Works comprise a 1,650-metre second-level directional ramp serving traffic from Al Khamila Street to Al Khail Road towards Sharjah, with a two-lane capacity.
It also includes constructing a 780-metre bridge providing entry to and exit from Al Khamila Street to Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), with three lanes in each direction, in addition to elevated link ramps extending 1,050 metres to serve traffic movements from Al Khamila Street to Al Khail Road towards Abu Dhabi. The upgraded junction will accommodate approximately 16,800 vehicles per hour.
The scope also includes an 885-metre-long direct elevated ramp with a two-lane capacity serving traffic from Hessa Street to Al Barsha South 1. In addition, a 1,050-metre second-level direct directional two-lane ramp facilitates traffic from JVC towards Al Barsha South. The upgraded intersection will accommodate approximately 11,200 vehicles per hour. A 680-metre directional two-lane ramp from JVC to Hessa Street in the direction of Al Khail Road will generate a capacity of 16,800 vehicles per hour.
Works also include constructing a 480-metre, two-lane tunnel serving traffic from JVC towards Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, and widening Al Hadaeq Street from its intersection with Hessa Street to its junction at the entrance of Dubai Science Park, extending 2.5 km. The corridor will be upgraded to a dual carriageway with three lanes in each direction. All existing roundabouts will be converted into signalised intersections with an estimated capacity of 4,400 vehicles per hour.
In order to serve the community, the project will also cover a 10.4km cycling and e-scooter track linking Dubai Hills and Dubai Motor City, serving several areas including Al Barsha South, Arjan, Dubai Science Park, and Motor City.
Phase 1
Meanwhile, the Phase 1 of Hessa Street Development included the upgrade of four major intersections along Hessa Street, namely at Sheikh Zayed Road, First Al Khail Street, Al Asayel Street, and Al Khail Road. Hessa Street expanded from two lanes to four lanes in each direction, doubling the capacity to 8,000 vehicles per hour, in addition to a 13.5 km cycling track.
In December 2024, RTA opened a key two-lane bridge extending 1,000 metres as part of this phase. The structure serves traffic movements from Hessa Street to Al Khail Road, providing free-flow connectivity towards the city centre and Dubai International Airport, reducing travel time between the two corridors from 15 minutes to three minutes.
Works are currently underway at Hessa Street–First Al Khail Street intersection, including widening the existing Hessa Street bridge from three lanes to four lanes in each direction, alongside traffic enhancements at the signalised at-grade junction.
In parallel, works continue at Hessa Street–Al Asayel Street intersection, where the existing bridge is being expanded from two lanes in each direction to four lanes in each direction along Hessa Street. The scope also includes traffic upgrades to the signal-controlled at-grade junction.
Cycling and e-scooter track
Phase 1 also delivers a 13.5 km dedicated cycling and e-scooter track along Hessa Street, linking Al Sufouh and Dubai Hills. The corridor serves several residential districts, including Al Barsha and Barsha Heights, and enhances first- and last-mile connectivity through integration with Dubai Internet City Metro Station, in addition to surrounding commercial and service destinations.
The track features two architecturally distinctive cycling and pedestrian bridges. The first spans Sheikh Zayed Road, while the second crosses Al Khail Road. Each bridge has a width of five metres, comprising three metres for cycling and e-scooter use and two metres for pedestrian movement.
The project enhances first- and last-mile connectivity through integration with Dubai Internet City Metro Station and nearby commercial and service destinations. The track has an estimated capacity of approximately 5,200 users per hour, supporting seamless multimodal mobility across the area.
