A contract for a $91.2 million road project in the Business Bay area of Dubai has been awarded, according to the local Roads and Transport Authority.

The project will form phase two of the Parallel Roads project and is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2018. It will include the construction of 295m long bridge at the junction of Al Meydan Street and Al Sa’ada Street, along with another 240m long bridge with three lanes in each direction, an RTA statement said.

RTA director-general and chairman Mattar Al Tayer added that the project would also contain three underpasses.

“The first is intended to provide leftward turns from Al Sa’ada Street in the direction of Al Meydan Street. It comprises of two lanes, and is 420 meters in length and 13 meters in width in a bid to ease snarls during peak times resulting from the overlapping of traffic movement,” explained Al Tayer.

“The second underpass would be at Al Sa’ada Street; comprising two lanes in each direction, and measuring 535 meters in length, and 21 meters in width. The third underpass is designated for the crossing of horses at Godolphin Stables area, measuring 340 meters in length, and 10 meters in width.”

RTA director-general and chairman Mattar Al Tayer

Al Tayer added that the project also includes roadworks spanning four kilometres, with three or four lanes in each direction. Works also include the upgrading and shifting of utility lines in the area, street lighting and directional signage, he said.

“RTA has completed more than 31% of the Parallel Roads Improvement Project in the Godolphin area, and the two bridge crossings over the Dubai Water Canal are expected to be completed by end of this August. All project works are set for completion in the last quarter of 2017.

“The project, which costs about $157.3 million encompasses the construction of a 3.5 km-long bridge comprising three lanes in each direction crossing over the Dubai Water Canal. The number of lanes increases to five in each direction above Godolphin Stables and Al Meydan Street up to Al Quoz Industrial Area. It also includes upgrading the existing junction of Al Meydan Street and Al Khail Street where flyovers would be constructed to provide left turns and ease the snarl in the junction during peak hours.

“The project also includes the construction of a two-lane ramp serving the traffic inbound from Al Khail Road in the direction of Sharjah to Al Asayel Road up to the junction with Oud Metha Road. It also includes providing entry & exit points for Meydan Development Project,” he continued.

The Parallel Roads project is considered to be one of the vital RTA projects being undertaken to ease congestion on Sheikh Zayed Road. The traffic corridor, which comprises of three lanes in each direction, extends 108 kilometres from the Sheikh Rashid Road in the north, up to the entrance of Abu Dhabi Emirate. The project covers the construction of bridges and at-grade junctions at the intersections of parallel roads, with the crossing roads extending 42km. The entire project constitutes a traffic hub that supports Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road.

Once all phases are complete, the project will ease traffic movement in the area parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road to the East, Al Tayer said.

“RTA had completed several phases of the eastern and western parallel roads project highlighted by part of Oud Metha St extending 5km up to the Business Bay, part of Al Meydan St extending 12km up to Hessa St, part of Hessa St extending 7km up Qarn Al Sabkha, and part of Al Yalayis St extending 11km up to Al Maktoum International Airport,” he concluded.