Two bridges which are part of the Trade Centre roundabout development project have been opened, cutting travel time from 10 minutes to just two minutes. The roads will serve traffic movement from 2nd December Street towards Sheikh Rashid Road and Al Majlis Street. Passengers will now be able to drive from 2nd December Street to Al Majlis Street, Al Mustaqbal Street, and Zabeel Palace Street in just two minutes. This will also significantly ease the traffic at the Trade Centre Roundabout.Each bridge provides two lanes in both directions, with a combined length of 2,000 metres and a total capacity of approximately 6,000 vehicles per hour.The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) opened the bridges ahead of its scheduled date in mid-January. It was in October last year that RTA announced the construction of five bridges — with a combined length of 5,000 meters — that will reduce congestion at the Trade Center roundabout and improve traffic flow.
The Trade Centre Roundabout is one of the major intersections in Dubai, linking Sheikh Zayed Road with five vital streets: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street, Sheikh Rashid Road, 2nd December Street, Zabeel Palace Street, and Al Majlis Street.
Continuing ahead of schedule
According to Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, the construction on the bridges is continuing ahead of schedule. “Work on the project is progressing at a pace faster than the approved schedule,” he said. “Overall project completion has reached nearly 50 percent and will initiate a phased opening.”
“In addition to the two bridges already opened to traffic, March will mark the opening of the bridge linking Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street,” he added. “Two further bridges are set to open in October 2026, serving traffic movement from Sheikh Rashid Road and Al Majlis Street towards 2nd December Street.”
Upon completion, the project will reduce average delay at the intersection from 12 minutes to 90 seconds and cut journey time for traffic heading from Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street from six minutes to just one minute
