Dubai Opens Traffic-Busting Bridge Near World Trade Centre, Cutting Travel Time from Six to One Minute
A new 1, 000-metre bridge in dubai has opened, linking Sheikh Zayed Road with Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street toward Al Karama and Deira and reducing travel time on that route from six minutes to one minute. The two-lane structure, delivered by the Roads and Transport Authority, has capacity for 3, 000 vehicles per hour and represents the third bridge to open as part of the broader Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project.
Dubai bridge details: size, capacity and immediate effects
The newly opened bridge stretches 1, 000 metres and was built with two traffic lanes. Its hourly capacity of 3, 000 vehicles is intended to relieve congestion at one of the city’s busiest intersections by enabling free-flow movement from Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street toward Al Karama and Deira. Early operational notes show a dramatic cut in travel time on the linked route from six minutes down to one minute.
This structure is the third element switched to traffic within a larger scheme. In an earlier phase, two two-lane bridges were opened that serve traffic from 2nd December Street toward Sheikh Rashid Street and Al Majlis Street, extending network relief in the same corridor and adding combined capacity.
Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project: scope, progress and what comes next
The bridge is part of a five-bridge Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project designed to convert the existing roundabout into a signalised, at-grade intersection and to upgrade traffic movements across a cluster of arterial roads. The combined length of all five bridges will total 5, 000 metres. Project completion has surpassed the 60 percent mark, with three bridges now open to traffic.
Work continues on the two remaining bridges, which will serve traffic from Sheikh Rashid Street and Al Majlis Street toward 2nd December Street; those are scheduled for opening in October. Once the full five-bridge scheme is complete, delays at the intersection are expected to fall from about 12 minutes to roughly 90 seconds, and more than half a million residents and visitors are expected to benefit from the improvements.
How the upgrade reshapes movement around the World Trade Centre
The upgraded intersection links Sheikh Zayed Road with five major arterial corridors: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street, Sheikh Rashid Street, 2nd December Street, Zabeel Palace Street and Al Majlis Street. The reconfiguration will provide free-flow connections between key directions—improving access toward the World Trade Centre, Dubai International Financial Centre and surrounding districts including Zabeel, Al Satwa, Al Karama, Al Jafiliya and Al Mankhool.
For dubai motorists and commuters traveling through this cluster of commercial and residential districts, the design intent is clear: reduce stop-start delays, enable uninterrupted flows on principal movements, and ease pressure on the at-grade network once the bridges and signalised intersection are fully operational.
Implications and next steps for traffic management
The incremental opening of bridges as construction passes milestones allows the road authority to stage traffic transfer and calibrate signal timings and lane assignments. With the two remaining bridges due to open in October, the programme anticipates further reductions in intersection delay and expanded free-flow movements across the linked corridors.
Details released with the openings emphasize the project’s role as one of the most strategic intersection upgrades in the emirate’s road network, targeting improved network efficiency and shorter journey times for large volumes of vehicles. As the final bridges come online, road users should expect continued changes in traffic patterns around the World Trade Centre area and adjacent districts; the scheme is presented as an engineered step toward a substantially faster, higher-capacity interchange.
