Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that 85 per cent of works on the Seventh Interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road (SZR) and the Road Improvement Project, had been completed and were both on track for opening on September 15.

The scope of works on the Seventh Interchange on Al Yalayes Road Improvement project includes the construction of a bridge of four lanes, branching out of Al Yalayes Road into two bridges of two lanes each. The first one is bound to Abu Dhabi and the other one leads to Dubal Street, Jafza and Port.

It also involves improvement of the right-side turn to make three lanes stretching out of Sheikh Zayed Road to Al Yalayes Road in the East, and two lanes from Al Yalayes Road to the Sheikh Zayed Road in the direction of Dubai, it stated.

On the projects, Mattar Al Tayer, the director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the RTA, said: "The two projects will enhance the link between the Sheikh Zayed Road and both Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road. They will ease the traffic flow on the Sheikh Zayed Road by diverting the traffic inbound from Abu Dhabi on the Sheikh Zayed Road to Al Yalayes Road and on to the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road."

"They will also boost the business and the movement of goods to and from Jebel Ali Port," stated Al Tayer.

"The project will step up the capacity of Al Yalayes Road to almost 10,000 vehicles per hour in each direction. It will also cut short the transit time between the 7th Interchange on the Sheikh Zayed Road and the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road to as low as four minutes," he noted.

Al Tayer said the contractors of both projects have completed 85 per cent of works in main bridges on the 7th Interchange on the SZR and Phase One of flyovers of Al Asayel, First Al Khail and Al Yalayes roads.

"Constructing the Seventh Interchange of Sheikh Zayed Road Project comprises two phases. Phase One covers improvement of traffic flow to and from SZR and Al Yalayes Road eastward. This phase will be opened on September 15," stated Al Tayer.

On completion of Phase One, the Al Yalayes Road will see the number of lanes increase from three to five in each direction from Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road with a capacity of 10,000 vehicles per hour.

Phase Two covers improvement of traffic flow from SZR to Dubal Street in both directions, and will be opened in the last quarter of the year, said RTA in its statement.

This phase will see the completion of the remaining lanes to and from the upper interchanges of First Al Khail and Al Asayel Roads along Al Yalayes Road with a capacity of seven lanes in each direction. It will ensure smooth traffic flow to and from Al Asayel and First Al Khail roads, it added.

The scope of work in Phase Two includes the construction of two elevated signalised junctions with a design that caters to the needs of Etihad Rail path. The first is at the intersection of Al Yalayes and First Al Khail roads, and the second at the intersection of Al Yalayes and Al Asayel roads. It also includes a flyover to serve the traffic inbound from Al Asayel Road southward to Al Yalayes Road eastward.

It also includes the completion of Al Asayel Road Extension over 5 km with three lanes in each direction to link Jafza with Jumeirah Islands and Emirates Hills. It will be fitted with a two-lane flyover running about 2 km across Al Asayel Road to serve the traffic inbound from Qarn Al Sabkha Road in the direction of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road.-TradeArabia News Service