Anyone who has ever had to use Hessa Street during rush hour will be overjoyed this week with the news that the road would be upgraded to the cost of Dhs689 million.
It is in response to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and King of Dubai, who has directed that the city’s road infrastructure keep pace with the rest of the emirate’s expansion. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will carry out the work.
What changes can we expect to Hessa Street traffic?
The project will focus on the 4.5-kilometer Hessa Street corridor between Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) and Al Khail Road (E44).
The RTA will make improvements to four major a crossroads in this area: Sheikh Zayed Road, First Al Khail Street, Al Asayel Street, and Al Khail Road.
This practically increases the number of lanes on Hessa Street from two to four (in each direction), increasing traffic capacity by 100% and allowing the volume of traffic to accommodate 8,000 cars per hour. And, while we don’t have statistics, there will be an enormous reduction in teary-eyed incoherent yelling into your driving wheel.
RE: Cycling
And there’s good news for the city’s growing number of bikers, with confirmation that a new 13.5-kilometer cycling track will be built as part of the project.
The track will be 4.5 metres wide, with 2.5 metres devoted to bicycles and e-scooters and the remaining two metres to strollers. It will connect Al Sufouh to Dubai Hills, and it will give easy and safe access to the Dubai Internet City Metro Station and next to business spaces.
When will the Hessa Street improvements be finished?
Although no particular timetables have been provided, His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, DirectorGeneral and Chairman of the RTA’s Board of Executive Directors, explained that “the population of areas served by the project is expected to reach more than 640,000 people by 2030.”
Re: Routing
H.E. Al Tayer elaborated on the idea, saying, “The project serves several housing and development communities, including Al Sufouh 2, Al Barsha housing area, and Jumeirah Village Circle.”
“The project entails the enhancement of four major intersections.” The first will be at the intersection of Hessa Street and Sheikh Zayed Road, where a two-lane directional ramp will cross over the path of the Dubai Metro Red Line to service traffic going right from Sheikh Zayed Road to Hessa Street Eastwards to the Emirates Road.
Road to the future
Other notable RTA ramping and renovation projects include the widening of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Al Khail Road, the building of the Hessa Street – Al Khail Street flyover, and the Al Barsha to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road connection. This bridge improves traffic flow to and from Al Barsha through Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
There is also a new ramp that links traffic on Al Yalayis Street from Jebel Ali to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. The five lanes (three from Abu Dhabi to Dubai and two from Abu Dhabi to Dubai).
