Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has inaugurated a 1,000-metre, two-lane bridge designed to connect Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street, dramatically reducing travel time from six minutes to just one minute. This latest addition is part of the ambitious World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project, which boasts a capacity to accommodate up to 3,000 vehicles per hour.
Mattar Al Tayer, the Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at RTA, announced that construction progress on the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project has surpassed 60%, with three bridges already operational. In February, two other two-lane bridges were opened, facilitating movement from 2nd December Street to both Sheikh Rashid Street and Al Majlis Street, covering a total distance of 2,000 metres and supporting approximately 6,000 vehicles per hour.
As part of the ongoing improvements, two more bridges connecting Sheikh Rashid Street and Al Majlis Street to 2nd December Street are nearing completion, with their opening anticipated in October. Al Tayer pointed out that once the project is fully finished, average delays at the intersection will plummet from 12 minutes to just 90 seconds. The enhancements will significantly improve traffic flow, particularly benefiting transitions between Sheikh Zayed Road and 2nd December Street, as well as Al Mustaqbal Street towards Sheikh Zayed Road southbound.
The project aims to create seamless traffic movements from 2nd December Street, including areas like Jumeirah and Al Satwa, toward Al Majlis Street, ultimately leading to Al Mustaqbal Street, which caters to the Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai International Financial Centre. It is designed to facilitate uninterrupted traffic from Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street.
As a comprehensive development initiative, the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project not only connects Sheikh Zayed Road with five major arterial corridors—including Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street, Sheikh Rashid Street, 2nd December Street, Zabeel Palace Street, and Al Majlis Street—but also transforms the existing roundabout into a signalised at-grade intersection. This adjustment aims to enhance overall traffic operations and improve network efficiency, ultimately benefiting over half a million residents and visitors in Dubai’s bustling districts, including Zabeel, Al Satwa, Al Karama, Al Jafiliya, and Al Mankhool.