The new bridge in central Dubai. Photo: Dubai Media Office El-Al is launching a new route. The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is set to open a new 500-meter bridge tomorrow, Friday, featuring two travel lanes designed to serve traffic exiting Dubai's World Trade Center and One Central district towards Al Mustaqbal Street and Za’abeel Palace intersection.<\/p> The new bridge is expected to reduce travel time from the World Trade Center from 10 minutes to just two during major events.<\/p> The bridge is part of the Al Mustaqbal Street development project, stretching between Za’abeel Palace Street and Financial Centre Street. The project, costing 633 million dirhams, consists of approximately 2,000 meters of bridges and tunnels, alongside expanding the street from three to four lanes in each direction.<\/p> Upon completion, the street's capacity is expected to increase by 33%, from 6,600 to 8,800 vehicles per hour in both directions. Travel time along the route is expected to decrease from 13 minutes to six minutes.<\/p> According to Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, the project is part of a broad plan to upgrade the city's transport infrastructure, aiming to cope with population growth and urban activity, and improve access to business, residential, and tourist areas.<\/p> The project also includes upgrading the World Trade Center roundabout, with work already over 85% complete. Another bridge is set to open by the end of August, serving traffic from Sheikh Rashid Road towards 2nd December Street. In October, the final bridge of the project will open, providing service from Al Majlis Street towards 2nd December Street.<\/p> Looking ahead to February 2027, the RTA plans to open three tunnels totaling 1,500 meters in the Al Mustaqbal Street and Trade Centre Street intersection area. One tunnel will have three lanes and serve traffic towards Deira, with a capacity of 4,500 vehicles per hour. Another two-lane tunnel will allow left turns onto Trade Centre Street and serve both directions, while a third, single-lane tunnel will serve One Central.<\/p> Besides road upgrades, the project also includes enhanced walking paths, a bicycle track, decorative lighting, and upgraded public spaces. Additionally, connections between development areas to metro stations are planned, aiming to facilitate smoother transitions between various transportation modes.<\/p> The upgraded route serves some of Dubai's key areas, including the World Trade Center, DIFC, Za’abeel, Downtown Dubai, and Business Bay. According to the authority, the project is expected to impact about half a million residents and visitors.<\/p> In parallel with the Al Mustaqbal Street project, work on the World Trade Center Roundabout upgrade project is underway, involving the construction of five bridges with a total length of around 5 km and converting the existing roundabout into a ground-level intersection. Another project for the development of Oud Maitha and Al Asayel streets is expected to be fully completed by the end of the month and includes four main intersections, bridges totaling about 4.3 km, and around 14 km of roads.<\/p> The final project is expected to serve commercial, residential, and development areas where a population of more than 420,000 people is anticipated by 2030. Once completed, travel time in the area is expected to reduce from 20 minutes to 10 minutes, a decrease of approximately 50%.<\/p>