By Staff www.emirates247.com
After months of construction and road diversions, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai has opened the Abu Dhabi-bound southern bridge on Sheikh Zayed Road to traffic.
The bridge opened on July 1.
The bridge, which will run between Interchanges 1 and 2 on the busy E11 is part of the initial phase of the ongoing Dubai Water Canal Project, which will see part of Sheikh Zayed Road elevated to make way for the waterway to connect from Meydan to Jumeirah Beach Road.
Only six lanes will open to traffic in the first phase of the new bridge, with the remaining two lanes scheduled to open in mid-July.
The bridge itself rises 8.5 meters above the water level allowing free navigation in the Canal around-the-clock, and will accompany the Dubai-bound E11 bridge, which opened to traffic earlier this year.
Earlier, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, Mattar Al Tayer, said in a statement: “By opening the southern bridge, RTA has effectively completed all works listed under Phase I of the Dubai Water Canal Project, which comprises the construction of an 800 meter-long bridge on the Sheikh Zayed Road comprising eight lanes in each direction.
“It also includes modifying the route of affected roads to ensure integrated traffic movement between the two sides of the Canal besides shifting the affected utility lines.”
He continued: “This bridge is characterised by a unique design with waterfalls flowing from the top and smart lighting fixtures controlled via a dedicated app supported by a database for tracking the lighting condition and sharing information and operational commands. Full coverage is provided all over the place enabling the RTA to interact with the social media through 3G technology.” More info
