If you have been dreading your daily commute along Hessa Street due to traffic delays, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Now, motorists can enjoy smooth traffic flow in both directions between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road, reducing travel time from 15 minutes to just 4.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has fully opened the upgraded Hessa Street corridor between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road, a 4.5km stretch that has long been a congestion point.
For daily commuters travelling through Al Barsha, Al Sufouh 2, and Jumeirah Village Circle, this completion significantly reduces travel time and addresses the congestion issue that has long plagued this route.
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The road has now been widened and upgraded along all key intersections along Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Asayel Street, First Al Khail Street, and Al Khail Road. Each direction now has four lanes, and the full set of intersection bridges has been completed.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, emphasised that these developments are part of a broader strategy to support Dubai’s urban and population growth.
“Hessa Street is one of Dubai’s most important strategic road corridors,” Al Tayer stated. “The project increases Hessa Street’s capacity from 8,000 vehicles per hour in both directions to 16,000 vehicles per hour in both directions, representing a 100 per cent increase.”
He noted that Hessa Street is one of Dubai’s most important strategic road corridors, serving several residential and development areas, including Al Sufouh 2, Al Barsha, and Jumeirah Village Circle. He added that the population of the areas served by the project is expected to exceed 640,000 by 2030.
Project details
The project covered the development of four intersections. The improvements include new ramps, expanded bridges, and upgraded junctions aimed at easing bottlenecks at major intersections along the route.
The first was the intersection of Hessa Street with Sheikh Zayed Road, where a two-lane directional ramp was constructed above Dubai Metro’s Red Line to serve traffic turning right from Sheikh Zayed Road onto eastbound Hessa Street towards Emirates Road.
The second involved developing the intersection of Hessa Street with First Al Khail Street through widening the existing Hessa Street bridge from three lanes to four lanes in each direction, in addition to traffic improvements at the signal-controlled at-grade intersection.
The project also included developing the intersection of Hessa Street with Al Asayel Street. This involves increasing the number of lanes on the existing bridge from two lanes in each direction to four lanes in each direction along Hessa Street through the construction of a new bridge parallel to the existing one, alongside traffic improvements at the signal-controlled at-grade intersection.
The fourth element covered developing intersection of Hessa Street with Al Khail Road, where a direct two-lane directional ramp was constructed to serve traffic from Hessa Street onto northbound Al Khail Road towards Sharjah, together with additional bridges at the existing interchange above Al Khail Road to serve traffic moving from Hessa Street to Al Khail Road towards Deira.
Phase 2 of Hessa Street Development Project
Work has already moved to Phase 2 of the Hessa Street Development Project, which extends 3km from the Al Khail Road intersection to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
This next stage will introduce 8,835 meters of new bridges and a 480-meter tunnel to support the 650,000 residents living in surrounding areas like Arjan, Dubai Science Park, and Emirates Hills.
Once complete, this section aims to double capacity from 4,000 to 8,000 vehicles per hour and cut travel times from 24 minutes to 5 minutes, providing a more permanent solution for the high volume of daily traffic in the area.
Source: Khaleej Times