AED940 million interchange opens in Dubai

By Samreen Hayat | The 971 Report

A brand new interchange linking Dubai's Hessa Road, Al Khail Road and Al Barsha with the main Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (former Emirates Road) officially opened this week.

The key interchange cost AED940 million and is the second phase of Roads & Transport Authority's (RTA) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road Project, which aims to improve traffic flow on the main highway.

The new bridge serves traffic moving to and from Al Barsha via Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road, including the area under development near the interchange.

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, said: “By opening this flyover, the RTA has completed the construction of all works in this vital project, which has a cost tag of AED 940 million. Works in the project, main parts of which had already been opened by the RTA, started in the second quarter of 2008 and was fully completed as per the approved timeline."

The project is part of RTA's overall plan to upgrade roads, bridges, crossings and tunnels to improve the transit movement and mobility in all parts of the Emirate, RTA said.

Under the project, a 10-km long section of the road was widened from three to six lanes in both directions and a new flyover was constructed to replace the surface intersection with Al Barsha Road.

It also includes constructing a ramp over Al Houdh roundabout comprising five lanes linking Al Yallas Road inbound from Jebel Ali and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road - three of which are in the direction of Dubai and the other two in the direction of Sharjah with a total length of 2.5 km.

The initial phase of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road project, which included widening of the road from three to six lanes in both directions, began in June 2006 and was completed in April 2008 at a cost of AED 333 million.