RTA Awards AED 600 Million Contract For Significant Oud Metha And Al Asayel Streets Development

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has initiated a significant infrastructure project in Dubai. This development is part of the Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development Project, following directives from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The project aims to enhance connectivity between Oud Metha and Al Asayel Streets, linking them to Al Khail Road via Al Nawras Street.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the RTA, emphasised the project's importance. It involves constructing four major intersections, 4,300 metres of bridges, and 14 km of roads. These improvements will benefit areas like Zabeel, Al Jaddaf, Oud Metha, Umm Hurair, Latifa Hospital, and Al Wasl Club.

The first intersection at Oud Metha Street and Sheikh Rashid Street will see a new left-turn lane added. This will increase capacity to 1,800 vehicles per hour. Improvements on the service road along Sheikh Rashid Street aim to reduce congestion and improve safety.

At the second intersection involving Oud Metha Street with Al Asayel and Al Nawras Streets, two bridges will be constructed. The first bridge will have two lanes for traffic from Al Asayel towards Al Nawras, accommodating 2,400 vehicles per hour. The second bridge will feature three lanes for traffic from Al Khail Road towards Al Asayel.

A separate two-lane bridge will facilitate left-turn traffic from Al Asayel to Oud Metha Street with a capacity of 2,400 vehicles per hour. Additional enhancements include upgrades to the road leading to Al Wasl Club’s entrance and adjustments at the entrances and exits of Al Nawras Street.

The third intersection at Al Nawras Street and Al Khail Road involves constructing a two-lane bridge for traffic from Al Asayel Street towards Business Bay Crossing. This bridge will handle up to 3,000 vehicles per hour.

Capacity Expansion

The fourth intersection at Zabeel Palace Street with Al Khail and Oud Metha Streets includes adding a lane on the left-turn ramp from Al Khail Road to Dubai-Al Ain Road. This change doubles capacity from 900 to 1,800 vehicles per hour.

A single-lane tunnel with a capacity of 1,200 vehicles per hour will serve traffic coming from Dubai-Al Ain Road to Al Nawras Street. Additionally, the existing bridge serving traffic from Al Khail Road towards Oud Metha Street will expand from two lanes to three lanes.

Future Projections

This project is expected to serve over 420,000 people by 2030. It aims to boost Oud Metha Street's capacity by 50%, increasing it from 10,400 vehicles per hour to 15,600 vehicles per hour. Travel time on this route is projected to decrease by 75%, reducing it from 20 minutes to just five minutes.

The Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development Project is one of RTA's largest strategic initiatives. Previous phases included developing Ras Al Khor Road between Dubai-Al Ain Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. These upgrades increased Ras Al Khor Road’s capacity significantly while reducing travel time.

With inputs from WAM