Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that 80 per cent of construction works have been completed on the Dh722-million ($196.7 million) Rashid Hospital Tunnels project, which is expected to be fully completed and opened for traffic by June-end.

Commenting on the project, chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA Mattar Al Tayer said: “The construction of Rashid Hospital Tunnels project is part of a masterplan aimed to ease the traffic congestion in the vicinity of Rashid Hospital and step up the traffic flow in the area. Upon the completion of the project, the capacity of roads within its scope is set to rise to as much as 6,000 vehicles per hour.

“The project contractor has completed all infrastructure works related to Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), sewage services and Etisalat as well as the construction works in vehicular and pedestrian tunnels, and the electromechanical works in the tunnels.”

The project comprises the construction of roads and two tunnels, each comprising two lanes, 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 passes from Tariq bin Ziyad Street underneath Al Maktoum Bridge, and the other one, inbound from Umm Harir Street, passes across Oud Metha Park. The two tunnels merge to form a four-lane street heading towards Al Riyadh Street via Rashid Hospital.

The project also encompasses converting the junction of Riyadh Street with the Floating Bridge extension into a four-lane passageway, 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.