A HIVE of activity around the Safa Park area heralds the start of construction work on Dubai Water Canal, one of the emirate’s most prestigious projects that will extend Dubai Creek from Business Bay to the Arabian Gulf.

The 3-km project – launched at the end of September last year – is estimated to cost Dh2 billion ($544.5 million) and is a part of the overall plan to transform the area into a hospitality hub featuring waterfront promenades, world-class hotels, and restaurants.

The 6-m-deep canal, which will range in width from 80 m to 120 m, will cross Sheikh Zayed Road (before Al Safa Interchange) and pass across the Safa Park, Al Wasl Road, and Jumeirah Two to terminate at the Arabian Gulf, thus ensuring the renewal of water in the entire canal.

“Once complete, it will provide access to the most prestigious new and old districts of Dubai in either direction,” Maitha Mohammed Bin Adai, CEO of Traffic and Roads Agency at Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) tells Gulf Construction.

“It will further create numerous opportunities such as significantly increasing waterfront developments, provide possibility of modern water transport and improve water quality in the Dubai Creek. In addition, the surrounding area will become a signature tourist attraction,” she adds.

Work is currently under way on the first package of the project, which been designed by Parsons/Halcrow.

The first package was awarded on September 28, 2013 and comprises three phases. Mapa-Gunal Construction Company of Turkey is the contractor for the first package. Each phase will take approximately a year with all three phases of Package One expected to be completed by September 2016.

Packages Two and Three have not yet been awarded.

Maitha ... wide opportunities.

RTA is the main developer/owner for all three packages of Dubai Water Canal infrastructure works, which include elevating Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Wasl and Jumeirah streets, services diversion and constructing the canal.

Describing the three packages, Maitha says: “The major scope of work under Package One (civil, structure and utilities) includes elevation of Sheikh Zayed Road; construction of bridge structures; traffic detour; and diversion of major existing utility services using microtunnelling techniques.

These diversions will include Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (Dewa) 132 kV/33 kV/11 kV electricity cables and 1200/600/300 main water lines, Dubai Municipality’s sewer and irrigation lines, and Etisalat and DU’s telecommunication cables.

“The first package involves construction of two separate multi-span bridges with eight lanes of traffic in each direction along the Sheikh Zayed Road alignment. The multi-span cast-in-place pre-stressed concrete bridges will be approximately 600-m long and 36.7-m wide with a navigational clearance of 8 m vertically and 50 m horizontally.”

In addition, the area in the vicinity of the project along Sheikh Zayed Road will also be modified to extend the canal and provide access to the surrounding new development in the area.

Under the first phase of this package, work will be carried out on lowering the existing services under the future canal and constructing a seven-lane diversion for traffic going to Abu Dhabi. Phase Two includes the construction of a bridge to elevate Sheikh Zayed Road for traffic going to Dubai, while Phase Three includes constructing a bridge to elevate Sheikh Zayed for traffic going to Abu Dhabi.

The Dubai Water Canal ... an overview.

Package Two includes construction of two separate water structures on Al Wasl and Jumeirah streets which entails elevating Jumeirah Street with three lanes of traffic in each direction (with a bridge length of 220 m and width of 26 m); as well as elevating Al Wasl Street with two lanes of traffic in each direction (bridge length of 530 m and width of 19 m) and a directional ramp (bridge length of 900 m and width of 13.9 m).

Here too, the bridges will be constructed with a navigational clearance of 8 m vertically and 50 m horizontally. Modification work will also be carried out in the vicinity of the project along Al Wasl and Jumeirah streets and access to the new development in the area.

The project also includes construction of frontage and access roads and parking, roadway, signage and markings, stormwater drainage network, streetlighting, utility diversion using microtunnelling and protection of the existing services wherever required.

Meanwhile, Package Three will consist of excavation of the canal and construction of four foot bridges.

According to Maitha, the main challenges in the construction of this project lie in “the diversion of main services in a timely manner and maintaining free flow of traffic during construction”.

RTA is expected to use the soil-cement method to construct the banks of the canal, an innovative engineering solution that enhances the aesthetics of the canal and its surroundings. This canal will ensure the replenishment of water supplies in the entire Business Bay canal automatically without any need for pumps.

Marine transit stations will be provided throughout the canal to ease mobility for the public and promote marine and tourist mass transit.

There will be cameras recording construction for the full duration of the contract.