Dubai motorists will be able to cut their journey time between Al Majlis Street and 2nd December Street from six minutes to just one minute when the final bridge of the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project opens on Friday, October 30.
The 1,000-metre, two-lane bridge will accommodate around 3,000 vehicles per hour, improving traffic flow at one of Dubai’s key intersections linking Sheikh Zayed Road with surrounding commercial and residential districts.
Its opening will mark the completion of all major works under the Dh696 million-plus project, which includes five bridges with a combined length of 5,000 metres. The development is designed to ease congestion, improve connections between major road corridors and facilitate access to some of the emirate’s busiest business destinations.
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Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said the project aligns with the leadership’s directives to upgrade road infrastructure and improve connectivity.
“The completion of the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project is in line with the directives of the wise leadership to continue upgrading Dubai’s road infrastructure, improve traffic flow on Sheikh Zayed Road and enhance connectivity between the emirate’s leading economic and commercial centres."
He said the improvements would also help the road network keep pace with the emirate’s growth.
“The project will also increase road network capacity to keep pace with Dubai’s rapid population, urban and economic growth, reinforce its global leadership in business, investment and tourism, and provide an integrated, sustainable mobility system that reinforce the emirate’s competitiveness, facilitates travel for residents and visitors, and enhances quality of life.”
Faster access to Dubai’s key business districts
The intersection occupies a strategic position along Sheikh Zayed Road, connecting traffic to major destinations including Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
DWTC hosts major international exhibitions, conferences and trade events, including GITEX, Arabian Travel Market and Gulfood, drawing large numbers of exhibitors and visitors. DIFC, meanwhile, is a major financial hub serving the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
Al Tayer said the project would improve connections between these business centres and surrounding neighbourhoods, where traffic volumes remain high throughout the day.
“The project will deliver a major improvement in traffic flow through free-flowing connections in multiple directions, stronger links between Sheikh Zayed Road and surrounding key streets, and a reduction in average delay at the intersection from 12 minutes to 90 seconds.”
The improvements are expected to benefit more than 500,000 residents and tourists. Areas served by the project include Zaa’beel, Al Satwa, Al Karama, Al Jafiliya and Al Mankhool, as well as nearby commercial and residential districts.
For motorists, the changes are intended to make journeys between these areas and major destinations more direct, while improving traffic distribution across the surrounding road network.
The project has converted the former World Trade Centre Roundabout into an at-grade intersection, supported by five bridges that provide free-flowing connections in different directions.
These include a 1,000-metre bridge connecting Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street towards Deira, with a capacity of 3,000 vehicles per hour.
Two bridges linking Sheikh Rashid Street with 2nd December Street provide two lanes in each direction, with a combined length of 2,000 metres and capacity for up to 6,000 vehicles per hour. Another two bridges connecting Al Majlis Street with 2nd December Street also span a combined 2,000 metres, with a capacity of around 6,000 vehicles per hour.
Together, the five bridges will improve traffic movement between Sheikh Zayed Road, Deira, Jumeirah, Al Satwa and other surrounding areas.
Al Mustaqbal Street project to follow in 2027
The completed roundabout project forms part of a wider programme to improve road capacity and connectivity around the World Trade Centre area.
Work is progressing on the Al Mustaqbal Street Development Project, which is scheduled for completion in 2027. The scheme covers the corridor between Za’abeel Palace Street and Financial Centre Street and includes bridges, tunnels and road widening.
The project includes three tunnels with a combined length of 1,100 metres at the intersection of Al Mustaqbal Street and Trade Centre Street. It also features a 400-metre, two-lane bridge serving traffic travelling from Dubai World Trade Centre towards the intersection of Za’abeel Palace Street and Al Mustaqbal Street.
A 3,500-metre section of Al Mustaqbal Street will be widened from three to four lanes in each direction. The wider programme also includes improved connections at Exhibition Street and Trade Centre Street, a pedestrian bridge on Al Sukook Street and upgrades to existing intersections.
According to the RTA, the improvements will increase Al Mustaqbal Street’s capacity by 33 per cent, from 9,000 to 12,000 vehicles per hour.
The authority has also outlined reductions in journey times along the corridor, with one project description putting the current 13-minute journey at six minutes after completion, while the detailed Al Mustaqbal Street section gives a reduction from eight minutes to three minutes and 30 seconds.
Once completed, the two projects are expected to strengthen links between Sheikh Zayed Road and surrounding streets, improve access to key business and commercial destinations and increase the network’s ability to accommodate future traffic growth.