The first phase of road improvements to reduce traffic in Dubai's Jumeirah and Al Wasl have opened, with further congestion-busting new roads due to open next year. The completed work in Latifa bint Hamdan Street and Umm Al Sheef Street is now open for motorists. Travel times will be cut to a third of existing journeys in early 2019 when a Dh800 million link road between Jumeirah and Al Khail Road opens. Drivers using the new Latifa bint Hamdan Street improvements between Sheikh Zayed Road to Al Khail Road will take on average four minutes to travel through the new stretch of road, rather than the existing time of about 12 minutes. The updates are also expected to improve the flow of heavy goods vehicles through to the Al Quoz industrial area, and forecast to reduce traffic by 10 per cent in Al Wasl Street. “The aim of this project is to enhance the roads network extending east to west and link them with the main roads such as Sheikh Zayed Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the Roads and Transport Authority. “It also supports the urban and economic upswing in the surrounding areas, besides reducing the traffic density between Al Manara and Al Hadeeqa Streets.” The new roads will serve the urban developments of Dubai Hills, Meydan, Al Khail Gate and Dubailand, and features two-level bridges extending 7.4 km with a crossing over the Dubai Metro Red Line. Phase two of the planned work includes a second deck bridge of two lanes in each direction to improve traffic flow on Al Asayel Street. __________________ <strong>Read more:</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.thenational.ae/uae/transport/dubai-s-first-autonomous-taxi-to-be-test-run-during-gitex-1.780144">Dubai's first autonomous taxi to be test run during Gitex</a></strong> <strong><a href="https://www.thenational.ae/uae/dubai-s-roads-and-transport-authority-delivers-world-s-biggest-safety-message-1.779946">Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority delivers world's biggest safety message</a></strong>