Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a major contract to build a new bridge connecting Bur Dubai directly to the Dubai Islands — a key infrastructure project aimed at easing traffic and supporting future development.
The new bridge, which will span 1,425 metres across Dubai Creek, is part of a Dh786 million initiative to improve access between mainland Dubai and the emerging waterfront destination. Designed with four lanes in each direction, the bridge will have the capacity to handle up to 16,000 vehicles per hour.
Set to rise 18.5 metres above the creek’s surface, the bridge will also feature a 75-metre-wide navigational channel to accommodate marine traffic. It will be located between the Infinity Bridge and the Port Rashid Development area.
“This project is a major milestone in connecting Bur Dubai with the Dubai Islands,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at RTA. “It is designed to improve traffic flow and provide direct access to support the islands’ ongoing urban and demographic growth.”
The project includes more than just the bridge. A dedicated pedestrian and cycling track with elevators will link both ends of the crossing, and 2,000 metres of connecting surface roads will be built to integrate the bridge into the existing road network on both sides.
This marks the second major phase of the Dubai Islands access programme. In 2020, RTA and Dubai Holding completed the first phase, which included three bridges totaling 1.6 kilometres that connected the islands to Al Khaleej Street.
The bridge also ties into the broader Al Shindagha Corridor Development Project, one of Dubai’s largest road infrastructure undertakings. Spanning 13 kilometres and involving 15 intersections, the corridor is set to benefit around one million people, cutting travel times from 104 minutes to just 16 and saving an estimated Dh45 billion over 20 years.
(Source: Wam)
