Say goodbye to long traffic jams on Al Safa Street! RTA has just rolled out a major road improvement project that’s going to make your daily commute a whole lot quicker. The stretch of road from Sheikh Zayed Road to Al Wasl Road, covering over 1,500 metres, is getting a full makeover. Once it’s done, your travel time on this busy corridor will drop from 12 minutes to just 3! Keep reading to find out all the important details you need to know.
What’s Changing On Al Safa Street?
Al Safa Street is being widened from 3 lanes to 4 in each direction. And not only are things getting easier for cars, there’ll also be dedicated pedestrian walkways, new cycling tracks, landscaped green spaces, and public areas designed to bring the community together. This upgrade will benefit one of the most vibrant districts in the city. Yup, I’m talking about City Walk, the Coca-Cola Arena, schools, hotels, shops, and restaurants in the area. According to RTA Director General Mattar Al Tayer, it also connects seamlessly to Downtown Dubai and Financial Centre Street, serving over a million residents nearby.
Bridges, Tunnels & More Room For Cars
The project is also adding 2 new bridges and 2 tunnels, stretching over 3,000 metres in total. This means a massive boost in traffic capacity and a significant drop in how long you’re stuck in traffic for. The numbers are pretty impressive enough to speak for themselves – from 6,000 vehicles per hour to 12,000 in both directions. Here’s what’s coming your way soon:
- Bridge 1: 4 lanes, 1,005 metres long, carrying 6,400 vehicles/hour from Al Wasl Street to Sheikh Zayed Road and Financial Centre Street.
- Bridge 2: 2 lanes, 360 metres long, handling 2,800 vehicles/hour from Al Satwa Road towards the same direction.
- Tunnel 1: 2 lanes, 1,005 metres long, moving 3,200 vehicles/hour from Sheikh Zayed Road to Al Wasl Street.
- Tunnel 2: At the Al Safa and Al Wasl intersection, this tunnel will have 2 lanes in each direction and carry about 6,400 vehicles/hour.
Not just that but, Al Safa Street’s current signal-controlled lanes will also be totally transformed. Now, 2 lanes will offer free-flow traffic while the other 2 will be signal-managed.
Bigger Plans for Al Wasl Road & Beyond
But the upgrade doesn’t stop there. On June 3, RTA also announced an even wider infrastructure plan covering Umm Suqeim, Al Safa, and Al Wasl Streets. This project is so huge, it will span 15km all the way from Umm Suqeim Street to 2nd December Street. Here are the key features of the upgrade:
- Upgraded 6 key intersections (including Al Safa Street)
- 5 new tunnels stretching 3,850 metres
- Road widening to three lanes in each direction
- A boost in road capacity from 8,000 to 12,000 vehicles per hour
- Travel times slashed by nearly half!
And like Al Safa Street, this project includes walkways, cycling lanes, public spaces, and boulevard-style upgrades to keep the area beautiful, connected, and pedestrian-friendly. All of which is in support of Dubai’s future population growth and quality-of-life goals.
No estimated complication date has been announced yet. So, stay tuned to Gulf Buzz, and we’ll be the first to update you on major details.
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