Rashid Hospital Tunnels set for opening in June 2013: Al Tayer

Rashid Hospital Tunnels set for opening in June 2013: Al Tayer

Project completion rate hits 75%

The Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board & Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that Rashid Hospital Tunnels project would be opened for traffic on 30 June 2013, and that completion rate in the project which costs 722 million dirham has reached 75%.

"The Rashid Hospital Tunnels project is being constructed as part of an integrated project through which the RTA is seeking to reduce traffic congestions in the vicinity of Rashid Hospital, and raise the traffic flow in the area. The total capacity of roads located within the project domain is poised to rise upon the project completion to 6000 vehicles per hour," stated Al Tayer.

"The project contractor has finalized all infrastructure works related to DEWA, sewage system, and Etisalat. Construction works have also been completed in vehicles & pedestrians underpass, whereas completion rate has almost clocked 70% in storm-water drainage works, more than 95% in tunnel electromechanical works, and almost 60% in road works, light signals and street lighting. Over the next few weeks, the RTA will open the surface roads linking with Al Riyadh Street and Oud Maitha Street, and the step is poised to streamline the traffic flow and ease vehicular congestion in the area between Al Riyadh and Oud Maitha Streets.

"The Project comprises the construction of roads & two 2-lane tunnels serving the traffic inbound from Tariq bin Ziyad & Umm Harir Streets and heading towards the intersection of Al Al Riyadh Street with the extension of the Floating Bridge. The first tunnel passes from Tariq bin Ziyad Street underneath Al Maktoum Bridge, and the other one comes from Umm Harir Street and passes across Oud Metha Park, and the two tunnels merge to form a 4-lane street heading towards Al Riyadh Street via Rashid Hospital. The Project also encompasses converting the junction of Riyadh Street with the Floating Bridge Extension into a 4-lane traffic route, widening Tariq bin Ziyad Street, improving Oud Metha & Umm Harir Streets, and constructing a road to handle the traffic inbound from the Floating Bridge and heading towards Tariq bin Ziyad Street," elaborated Al Tayer.

It is note-worthy that the RTA has undertaken several projects in this area of Bur Dubai to eliminate tailbacks and enhance roads capacity to keep pace with the urbanization and traffic growth rates. In this regard the RTA constructed the Floating Bridge, just half a kilometer off Al Garhoud Bridge, which comprises six lanes stretching from the surface intersection near City Center and Dubai Golf Club in Deira and terminates at the intersection to be constructed on Al Riyadh Street. The Project included modifications to improve the efficiency of junctions near Al Riyadh Street where the R/As in the direction of the Creek Park have been converted into signalized junctions. The project also provided an additional lane between Khalid bin Al Waleed Street and Oud Metha from the one hand, and Al Ittihad Street and Deira from the other.

The RTA has also widened Al Maktoum Bridge from 9 to 11 lanes, and the streets in the approaches of the Bridge from two to three lanes to handle the traffic inbound from Umm Harir Street. This has increased the vehicular capacity and eased the traffic congestion in the traffic in bound from Sheikh Zayed Road in the direction of Deira. It also improved the capacity of Khalid bin Al Waleed Street in order to ease the pressure on this vital corridor and ensure seamless traffic flow in the direction of Deira. Improvements and widening of the Bridge works also included increasing the number of lanes in the direction from Deira to Bur Dubai from four to six lanes along the Bridge.

Al Tayer stated that the RTA is following up the improvement works in several main roads in Dubai city as part of a series of vital projects being constructed to improve roads and provide advanced services at residential districts to conform to RTA's strategy and the ongoing endeavours to keep pace with the urbanization drive and serve the requirements of growth as well as the demographic expansion in the Emirate.

Captions:
 Mattar Al Tayer
 Work progressing according to the approved schedule in Rashid Hospital Tunnels
 Work progress in roads in the surroundings of the tunnels