Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened two new bridges on December 21, as part of the Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project, enhancing traffic flow between 2nd December Street, Sheikh Rashid Road and Al Majlis Street, which connects to Al Mustaqbal Street. Each bridge features two lanes in both directions, with a combined length of 2,000 metres and a total capacity of around 6,000 vehicles per hour.
The bridges were opened ahead of the planned mid-January schedule. Their early completion is set to significantly improve traffic movement from 2nd December Street towards Sheikh Rashid Road and Al Majlis Street, cutting journey times to Al Majlis Street, Al Mustaqbal Street and Zabeel Palace Street from 10 minutes to just two minutes, while easing congestion at the Trade Centre Roundabout.
Mattar Al Tayer, DG and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, said: “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.”
“The project, with a total cost exceeding Dhs696m, includes the construction of five bridges with a combined length of 5,000 metres, in addition to converting the existing roundabout into an at-grade intersection. The project enhances traffic flow from Sheikh Zayed Road towards 2nd December Street, as well as traffic movement from Al Mustaqbal Street towards Sheikh Zayed Road in the southbound direction,” Al Tayer noted.
“It also provides free-flow traffic movement from 2nd December Street in Jumeirah and Al Satwa to Al Majlis Street towards Al Mustaqbal Street, serving Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai International Financial Centre, as well as from Sheikh Rashid Road towards Deira. In addition, the project ensures free-flow movement via a second-level bridge from Sheikh Zayed Road towards Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street.”
He added: “Work on the project is progressing at a pace faster than the approved schedule, reflecting RTA’s commitment to facilitating residents’ mobility. Overall project completion has reached nearly 50% 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. 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.”
Al Tayer concluded: “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.”
Free-flow traffic
The five bridges included in the project are designed to enable free-flow traffic in multiple directions. These include a second-level bridge with two lanes extending from Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street towards Deira, measuring 1,000 metres in length and accommodating approximately 3,000 vehicles per hour.
Two additional bridges, each with two lanes in both directions, connect Sheikh Rashid Road with 2nd December Street. Together, they span 2,000 metres and can handle around 6,000 vehicles per hour. Another two bridges, also with two lanes in both directions, link Al Majlis Street to 2nd December Street, creating a direct connection between Al Mustaqbal Street and 2nd December Street. These bridges have a combined length of 2,000 metres and a total capacity of approximately 6,000 vehicles per hour.
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The project serves key commercial, residential and development areas, most notably Dubai World Trade Centre, the region’s largest international events and exhibitions venue for over four decades, hosting major global exhibitions and conferences such as GITEX, Arabian Travel Market, Arab Health Exhibition and Congress, and Gulfood.
It also supports access to Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a leading financial hub for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, as well as communities including Zabeel, Al Satwa, Al Karama, Al Jafiliya and Al Mankhool. More than half a million residents and visitors are expected to benefit from the project.
The Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project is part of a wider master plan that includes the upgrade of Al Mustaqbal Street, extending from its intersection with Zabeel Palace Street to Financial Centre Street, with completion targeted for 2027.
This phase includes the construction of bridges and tunnels with a combined length of 1,500 metres, along with widening Al Mustaqbal Street from three to four lanes in each direction. These improvements will raise the road’s capacity from 9,000 to 12,000 vehicles per hour, a 33 per cent increase, and reduce journey times from eight minutes to three minutes and 30 seconds.
The scope also covers three tunnels totalling 1,100 metres at the intersection of Al Mustaqbal Street and Trade Centre Street, as well as a 400-metre bridge with two lanes to serve traffic from Dubai World Trade Centre towards the junction of Zabeel Palace Street and Al Mustaqbal Street.
Further works include widening a 3,500-metre stretch of Al Mustaqbal Street between Financial Centre Street and Zabeel Palace Street to four lanes in each direction, constructing free-flow ramps to improve traffic at intersections with Exhibition Street and Trade Centre Street, installing a pedestrian bridge on Al Sukook Street, and upgrading existing intersections along the corridor.
