Source: www.khaleejtimes.com
DUBAI — The Dh700-million Rashid Hospital Tunnels Project of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has been completed 70 per cent and the project is expected to open in mid 2013.
Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, said the Rashid Hospital Tunnels Project is part of a master plan aimed to ease the traffic congestions in the vicinity of Rashid Hospital and ensure smooth traffic flow in the area. “Upon completion of the project, the capacity of roads within the surroundings of the project will rise to about 6,000 vehicles per hour.”
“The project contractor has finalised all infrastructure and utility works including those related to Dewa, sewage services and Etisalat, and also completed construction works in the vehicles and pedestrians tunnel. Completion rate has hit 60 per cent in rainwater drainage network works, more than 90 per cent in electromechanical tunnel works, and about 50 per cent in road, light signals and lighting works. In the middle of this year the RTA will open the surface roads linking Al Riyadh Street and Oud Metha which serve Rashid Hospital and Dubai Media Inc. This step will ease the traffic flow and ease the congestion in the area between Al Riyadh and Oud Metha Streets.
“The Project comprises the construction of roads and two 2-lane tunnels for serving the traffic inbound from Tariq bin Ziyad and Umm Harir Streets and heading towards the intersection of Al Riyadh Street with the extension of the Floating Bridge. The first tunnel comes from Tariq bin Ziyad Street and passes underneath Al Maktoum Bridge and the other one comes from Umm Harir Street and passes across Oud Metha Park, and the two tunnels merge to form a four-lane street heading towards Al Riaydh Street via Rashid Hospital. The project also encompasses converting the junction of Al Riaydh Street and Floating Bridge Extension into a four-lane traffic route, widening Tariq bin Ziyad Street, improving Oud Metha and Umm Harir Streets, and constructing a road to handle the traffic inbound from the Floating Bridge and heading towards Tariq bin Ziyad Street,” elaborated Al Tayer.
The RTA has undertaken several projects in this area of Bur Dubai to eliminate tailbacks and enhance roads capacity to keep pace with the urbanisation and traffic growth rates. Al Tayer stated that the RTA is following up the improvement works in several main roads in Dubai city as part of a series of vital projects being constructed to improve roads and provide advanced services at residential districts.
