85 per cent of Dh578m roads project completed, Dubai's RTA says

The first phase of the Dh578 million Parallel Roads Improvement Project in Dubai is 85 per cent complete, according to the Roads and Transport Authority.

The project involves the construction of a 3.5 km-long flyover comprising three lanes in each direction crossing over the Dubai Canal.

The number of lanes increases to five in each direction above Godolphin Stables and Al Meydan Road up to Al Quoz Industrial Area. It also includes upgrading the existing junction of Al Meydan Road and Al Khail Road, where flyovers will be constructed to provide left turns and ease the existing overlapping of traffic movement, which would reduce the congestion at the junction during peak hours. The project also includes the construction of a two-lane bridge to serve the traffic inbound from Al Khail Road in the direction of Sharjah to Al Asayel Road up to the junction with Oud Metha Road and the construction of four tunnels.

Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the RTA, said: "“The objective of the project is to mitigate the traffic density on the Sheikh Zayed Road by 15 per cent. It provides additional entry/exit points to the Business Bay and Burj Khalifa district with a capacity to handle 20,000 vehicles per hour in both directions."

The rest of the work on this phase will be completed in the final quarter of this year. Phase 2, estimated to cost Dh336 million, is also under way and will be completed in 2018.