Dubai opens 1.65-km Al Khaleej tunnel — The National
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has opened a 1.65-km tunnel on Al Khaleej Street. The new six-lane passage is intended to ease traffic between Infinity Bridge and the Deira district. The tunnel has three lanes in each direction and can carry up to 12,000 vehicles per hour in both directions, The National reports.
Traffic without traffic lights
The tunnel enables drivers to travel without stopping at traffic lights from the end of the Infinity Bridge exit in Deira to the intersection of Al Khaleej and Al Wuheida streets. The route is expected to improve access to the residential and commercial areas of Abu Hail, Al Wuheida and Al Mamzar, as well as Dubai Islands, Waterfront Market and Al Hamriya Port.
Mattar Al Tayer, director general of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, said the project is intended to improve traffic on one of the city’s busiest transport corridors. According to him, the tunnel will provide uninterrupted traffic between Infinity Bridge, Deira and Al Mamzar and strengthen connections between residential neighbourhoods, shopping centres and tourist locations.
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Part of a major road project
The construction also involved replacing roundabouts on Cairo and Al Wuheida streets with signalised intersections, as well as upgrading roads along Cairo Street. An exit from Dubai Islands is to be connected to the tunnel in the direction of Al Mamzar.
The facility is part of the 13-km Al Shindagha Corridor development project, which covers Sheikh Rashid, Al Mina, Al Khaleej and Cairo roads. The project includes upgrades to 15 intersections and, according to the Roads and Transport Authority, is expected to serve about one million people in the Dubai Islands, Dubai Maritime City and Port Rashid areas. Once all work is completed by 2030, travel time along the corridor is planned to be reduced from one hour and 44 minutes to 16 minutes.
The tunnel will also feature a mosaic panel by Emirati artist Maryam Al Hatbour. The work, made of 36 million elements, will depict Dubai’s skyline and landmarks, including Infinity Bridge. A total of 2,200 engineers, technicians and workers were involved in the construction; the authority reported nearly 11 million injury-free working hours. In addition, 77% of approximately 522,000 cubic metres of soil excavated during the work was reused in other projects.
