RTA Awards AED786 Million Contract For New Bridge Linking Dubai Islands To Bur Dubai

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in partnership with Dubai Holding, has awarded a contract to build direct road access to Dubai Islands from the Bur Dubai side.

The project is part of a broader plan to improve Dubai's road and transport infrastructure. It aims to support new developments, meet the needs of a growing population, ease traffic, and make it easier for both residents and visitors to get around the city.

As part of the project, a 1,425-meter-long bridge with four lanes in each direction will be built. The total cost of the project is AED786 million.

"The project involves the construction of a direct entry and exit for the Dubai Islands project from the Bur Dubai side. "A bridge will be built over Dubai Creek, between the Infinity Bridge and Port Rashid Development area," Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, was quoted as saying by WAM.

The new bridge will be about 1,425 meters long, with four lanes in each direction, and will handle up to 16,000 vehicles per hour. It will be built 18.5 meters above Dubai Creek, with a 75-meter-wide channel underneath to allow boats and other vessels to pass through easily.

The project will also include a pedestrian and cycling track across the bridge, along with elevators to help people move between levels. In addition, 2,000 meters of surface roads will be built to link the bridge with existing roads on both Dubai Islands and Bur Dubai sides.

This is the second major contract under the larger project to create access points to the Dubai Islands. The first phase, completed in 2020 with Dubai Holding, involved building three bridges totaling 1.6 kilometers. These included a two-lane bridge connecting Dubai Islands to Al Khaleej Street northbound, a three-lane bridge heading southbound, and another two-lane bridge from Al Khaleej Street southbound to the islands, all designed to support smooth traffic flow.

The Dubai Islands access project is part of the larger Al Shindagha Corridor Development Project, a major road initiative by RTA. This massive project covers 15 intersections along a 13-kilometer stretch and is being completed in five phases due to its size.

The corridor will serve important areas like Deira and Bur Dubai, as well as major developments such as Dubai Islands, Deira Waterfront, Dubai Maritime City, and Port Rashid. It's expected to benefit around one million people.

Once completed, the project will significantly cut travel time along the corridor, from 104 minutes down to just 16 minutes. Over 20 years, it is expected to save nearly AED45 billion in time and transportation costs.