New access to Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is opening tomorrow (Wednesday) Al Asayel Road, linking Oud Metha with the Business Bay through a number of tunnels and bridges constructed at Zabeel and the Business Bay districts, said a press statement on Tuesday.

The project, which extends 5 km in total and is built at a cost of Dh300 million, is one of the key phases of the Parallel Roads Project; which is one of the biggest projects currently undertaken by the RTA extending from the Sheik Rashid Road in the north up to the outskirts of Abu Dhabi Emirate to the south.

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, was delighted with the opening of this vital project as it offers an alternative and seamless corridor for road users coming from Oud Metha and heading towards Zabeel, Jumeirah and the Business Bay districts.

 It also serves the urbanization and development seen by the area stretching alongside the road.

The project comprises two tunnels; each of them has 3 lanes in each direction. The first tunnel branches from the Zabeel Road 2 and extends 850 meters, and the second tunnel branches from the Trade Center Road and extends 600 meters. Two bridges of two lanes in each direction have also been constructed at the Business Bay extending 700 meters. The project offers a free access to the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa  through Emaar Boulevard in a safe and smooth manner for the benefit of road users.

“The Parallel Roads Project is one of the biggest projects currently undertaken by the RTA and is capable of easing the traffic flow along the area to the east of the Sheikh Zayed Road. It also serves the traffic inbound from the Sheikh Zayed Road and outbound to the Business Bay besides linking Al Khail Road with the internal roads of the Business Bay,” stated Al Tayer.

“Al Asayel Road is a pivotal corridor of the Eastern Parallel Roads Project and is linked with the Godolphin Project the RTA is intending to undertake in the next stage; which encompasses the construction of roads, bridges and tunnels enabling smooth traffic flow on the parallel roads, and will have a positive impact in easing the pressure on the roads surrounding Zabeel besides providing entry and exit points to and from the Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road. In future, the RTA will link Al Asayel Road with the Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Crossing through a bridge crossing over Oud Metha to link Bur Dubai with the Lagoons, Al Warqaa, and the International City,” added Al Tayer.

Several phases completed

It is worth mentioning that the RTA opened early this year Phase 3 of the Parallel Roads Project at the JLT comprising the construction of 7 main bridges offering smooth traffic flow rom and to the JLT, and improving the main roads network in the neighbourhood to accommodate the traffic in the area and link it with the main roads in the vicinity.

The project also included the construction of a tunnel to link the Sheikh Zayed Road with the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, besides other related activities such as utilities, pavements, road marking, lighting, traffic diversions and protection of the existing utility lines.

“The RTA has accomplished key phases of the Parallel Roads Project, the last of which was the opening of vital sectors of the Improvement of the Parallel Roads Project at JAFZA South, extending from the northern part of the road leading to Al Houdh R/A up to the 10th Interchange of the Sheikh Zayed Road. Project works completed also included improvement of the Eastern & Western Parallel Roads in both directions within Jebel Ali Industrial Area, and Jafza South, through constructing six bridges and four footbridges to ease the pressure on the Sheikh Zayed Rd, and the Industrial Area, besides establishing a link between the investment and economic zones of the Dubai World’s projects, connecting them with the surrounding roads, linking Jebel Ali Port with Al Maktoum International Airport, and providing a road leading to the Expo Road of Jafza. Last May, the RTA opened the service road leading to the Expo Road, and last December it opened a lane linking Al Maktoum Airport with Jafza South. It also opened 12 light signals on the Parallel Roads Project at the Business Bay; linking Sheikh Zayed Rd, Al Khail Rd and the Business Bay district, and offering a smooth traffic flow in Emaar and Business Bay districts through the Eastern and Western Parallel Roads,” elaborated Al Tayer.

It is worth-mentioning that in September 2011 the RTA opened Phase III of the Parallel Roads Project serving sprawling urban developments in areas such as Jebel Ali Racecourse, Emirates Hills, Springs, Meadows, Jumeirah Islands and Jumeirah Park. The Road, which extends about 20 km, constitutes 14% of the total Parallel Roads Project, and comprises 3 to 4 lanes in each direction as well as 6 bridges and 3 underpasses crossing the eastern and western roads. The RTA had earlier opened Phase I of the Parallel Roads Project including the construction of roads at Al Barsha, and Al Qouz Industrial & Residential Areas extending from Hessa Road to the south up to Meydan Road to the north in a sector extending 15 km in the Eastern Parallel Road and 18 km in the Western Parallel Road, comprising three lanes in each direction.

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