Dubai Traffic 2026: 5 new RTA road projects slash travel times across the city

Dubai: Smoother trips, shorter commutes, and newer routes – your travel time in Dubai is getting a lot shorter this year, thanks to new completed infrastructure projects in the city. Here’s everything you need to know about the new routes and upgrades the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has completed this year, as well as your updated travel time. 1. Upgrades to Ras Al Khor Road and Al Khail Road On July 28, the RTA announced the completion of a number of rapid traffic solutions on Ras Al Khor Road and Al Khail Road. Among the upgrades are the addition of new lanes, including one in Al Khail Road in the direction of Abu Dhabi that increases the road’s capacity by 33% and reduces travel time by 20% during peak hours. The RTA has also upgraded key entry and exit points to ease congestion and improve traffic flow. For instance, you can now take the exit from Financial Centre Road towards Meydan, and use the entry route from Ras Al Khor Road to Financial Centre Road. These enhancements are expected to reduce journey times by up to three minutes, and improve traffic flow by 20%. 2. Three-lane bridge at Oud Metha and Al Asayel Street On July 26, the RTA opened a major three-lane bridge, as part of the Oud Metha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project. The project is 90% complete, with two tunnels scheduled to open this August, and a bridge for left-turn movements nearing completion as well. The new three-lane bridge, which is now open to the public, has a capacity of 3,600 vehicles per hour, and serves traffic coming from Al Khail Road towards Al Asayel Street via Al Wasl Club Street. The Oud Metha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project is one of the key infrastructure projects in progress in Dubai – it includes the development of four major intersections, the construction of bridges and two tunnels with a total length of 4,300m, as well as roads spanning 14km. Once the entire project is complete, the RTA expects it to increase the capacity of Oud Metha Street by 50% to 15,600 vehicles per hour in both directions. Travel time will reduce from 20 minutes to 5 minutes. 3. New bridge at Dubai Harbour One of the latest in the series of infrastructure developments is a new bridge in the Dubai Harbour area, which the RTA inaugurated on July 19. The 1.5km bridge, built in partnership with Shamal Holding, features two lanes in each direction, and has the capacity to hold 6,000 vehicles per hour. It offers direct entry to the Dubai Harbour area from Shaikh Zayed Road, improving access for commuters from Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. In terms of travel time, your commute in this area reduces from 12 to just 3 minutes, according to the RTA. The bridge extends from Interchange 5 on Sheikh Zayed Road, near the American University in Dubai, passing through the intersection of Al Naseem Street and Al Falak Street, and crossing over King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, before connecting to Dubai Harbour Street. 4. Hessa Street Development Project On April 19, the RTA officially completed the Hessa Street Development Project, which saw a major infrastructure upgrade aimed at easing congestion in one of the city’s key traffic corridors. The project covered a 4.5km extension between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road, and involved widening the street, along with the bridges at Hessa Street’s intersections with Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Asayel Street, First Al Khail Street, and Al Khail Road, to four lanes in each direction. The RTA estimates travel time to have reduced in this area from 15 minutes to just 4 minutes, with road capacity doubling from 8,000 to 16,000 vehicles per hour in both directions. Phase 2 of the project is now underway, and will see the extension of Al Khail Road to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, over a 3km stretch. It will include the construction of bridges extending 8,835m, the introduction of a 480m tunnel, and the construction of a 525m, two-lane braided ramp to eliminate traffic overlap between Al Khail Road and Al Khamila Street. The project’s aim is to cut travel time from 24 minutes to 5 minutes, according to the RTA. 5. Bridge linking Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street A key bridge linking Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street. Picture credit: RTA On February 27, the RTA launched a key second-level bridge as part of the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project. The 1,000m bridge comprises two lanes, and has the capacity to manage 3,000 vehicles per hour, serving traffic from Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street, towards Al Karama and Deira. By reducing journey time from six minutes to just one minute, the new bridge alleviates congestion at the World Trade Centre Roundabout.