Zaa’beel Palace Street: While the temperatures outside (it’s the humidity!) still scream Dubai summer, the road traffic tells a different story. With schools reopening this week, the city is clearly back to business as usual.
New Zaa’beel Palace Street Bridge Opens to Ease Traffic:
To help ease the inevitable traffic woes, a new three-lane bridge has just opened: the Zaa’beel Palace Street Bridge. The bridge spans 700 meters and connects Zaa’beel Palace Street and Oud Metha Road to Al Khail Road, directing traffic towards Jebel Ali/Abu Dhabi.
The bridge, designed to handle up to 4,800 vehicles per hour, is a key feature of the Roads and Transport Authority’s (RTA) Al Khail Road improvement project, which was announced earlier this year.
RTA’s Al Khail Road Improvement Project:
The ambitious Dhs700 million project includes the construction of bridges spanning 3,300 meters, and road improvement works covering 6,820 meters across seven locations along Al Khail Road.
These locations include Zabeel, Meydan, Al Quoz 1, Ghadeer Al Tair, and Jumeirah Village Circle. The project aims to expand the road network to accommodate the continually growing volume of traffic, improve road infrastructure to cater to the city’s urban and demographic needs, and ultimately cut travel times by 30 percent.
Upcoming Salik Toll Gates in Dubai:
In addition to the bridge, two new Salik toll gates will be installed in Dubai by November, bringing the total number of toll gates in the city from eight to ten. The first will be located at the Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road, and the second will be in Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road between Al Meydan Street and Umm Al Sheif Street.
The Business Bay Crossing gate is expected to alleviate traffic congestion by 12 to 15 percent on Al Khail Road, decrease traffic volume by 10 to 16 percent on Al Rabat Street, and redirect traffic to Al Maktoum and Al Garhoud bridges, as well as Ras Al Khor Street.
