Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a contract worth AED193mn for the improvement of Al Awir Road, Entrance of International City (Phase 2) project in the emirate.
The project, which involves upgrading of three intersections and widening of Al Manama Street, has been undertaken in collaboration with Nakheel, the master developer of the International City, said a statement from RTA. This comes following the traffic impacts study commissioned for the International City and the Dragon Mart, especially after the opening of the extension of the Dragon Mart and the anticipated snarls in the area, it added.
Mattar Al Tayer, the director general and chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA, said: “Phase 2 of the project encompasses improvements of Al Manama Street and upgrading its intersections, namely Al Manama Street-Nouakchott Street, Al Manama Street-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, and Al Manama Street-414 Street (main entrance of the International City).”
The scope of work for the Al Manama Street-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road intersection upgrade includes widening the flyover passing over Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road from three to four lanes in each direction to help increase the capacity of the bridge from 4,500 vehicles per hour to 6,000.
Al Tayer explained: “It also covers increasing the number of lanes of slipways extending from Ras Al Khor Road to Sharjah, and from the International City to Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi, from one lane to two lanes. Works also include widening Al Manama Street in the area between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and the entrance of the International City from three to six lanes in each direction.”
According to him, Al Manama Street will also be widened in the sector from the entrance of the International City to the Academic City Street from two to five lanes in each direction. “Phase 2 of the project includes upgrading the intersection of Al Manama Street with the entrance of the International City by converting it into a surface signalised junction enabling free movement in all directions.”
Works include constructing a flyover of three lanes in each direction to allow traffic to cross freely over Al Manama Street, he added.
RTA said it began work on Phase 1 of Al Awir Road and Entrance of the International City Improvement Project early last year. More than 75% of the project has been completed and is on track for opening in the first quarter of 2018. Phase 1 of the project includes improvement works of Al Awir Road starting from the intersection of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to the roundabout of the Academic City Street, it added.