Dubai set to open new flyover to ease entry to International City

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will be opening a new flyover to improve access to International City on Saturday, July 14.

The flyover forms the first phase of the Al Awir Road Improvement project, which is hoped to ease traffic flow between International City and Downtown Dubai.

The new two-lane bridge from Warsan (1) Street to Al Awir Road has an estimated capacity of 1,000 vehicles per hour, which will ease the traffic pressure on the roundabout at the junction of Al Awir and Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Streets, the RTA said.

“It will be easy for motorists coming from Hatta to access the Dragon Mart and the International City via Al Awir Road,” said Mattar Al Tayer, RTA director-general and chairman.

The project has been undertaken in collaboration with Nakheel, the master developer of International City and comes after the opening of the extension of Dragon Mart and the increased snarls developing in the area, a statement said.

Also read: Dubai’s Nakheel says Dragon City expansion ready for Q4 opening

“The contractor is completing final construction works in the project that aims to ensure the smooth traffic movement on Al Awir Road from the intersection of Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road to the roundabout of Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Street, and improve the left and U-turns from the International City and Dragon Mart,” said Al Tayer.

The project’s first phase also includes a three-lane service road parallel to Al Awir Road in both directions to ensure free traffic movement and separate it from the traffic of the International City, Dragon Mart and Al Warqaa.

“It also included turning the primary four roundabouts of the International City into signalised junctions, and widening the existing lane by adding one or two lanes in some sectors,” added Al Tayer.

The RTA is currently working on phase two of the Al Awir Road Improvement project which will include improvements on Al Manama Street, upgrading its intersections with Warsan (1) Street, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, and the extension of the International City Street.

Works also include upgrading Al Manama-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road intersection, and widening the flyover passing over Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road from three to four lanes in each direction. This will increase the capacity of the bridge from 4,500 vehicles per hour to 6,000 vehicles per hour, the statement said.

The project will increase the number of lanes of slipways extending from Ras Al Khor Road to Sharjah, and from International City to Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi, from one lane to two lanes. This will double the capacity of these lanes from 800 vehicles per hour to 1,600 vehicles per hour.

The RTA will also widen Al Manama Street between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and the entrance of the International City from three to six lanes in each direction, increasing capacity by 1,500 vehicles per hour per lane.

Al Manama Street will also be widened in the sector from the entrance of the International City to the Academic City Street from two to five lanes in each direction, which will boost capacity from 3,000 vehicles per hour to 7,500 vehicles per hour.

Phase II also includes upgrading the intersection of Al Manama Street with the entrance of the International City by converting it into a surface signalised junction.

Works include constructing a flyover of three lanes in each direction to allow traffic to cross freely over Al Manama Street that will increase the traffic flow by 4,500 vehicles per hour.

The RTA will also construct a two-lane flyover to enable free traffic movement from Warsan (1) Street leftward in the direction of the International City Street, which will allow the road capacity to rise to 3,000 vehicles per hour.