The RTA has opened a new three-lane bridge as part of the Oud Metha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project, cutting travel times from 20 minutes to just five minutes once the project is completed.
DUBAI: If you’ve ever been stuck in traffic between Downtown Dubai, Business Bay and Al Barsha, there’s some good news. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened a major new three-lane bridge that is expected to make daily commutes much faster.
The new bridge, which opened on July 27, 2026, connects traffic from Al Khail Road to Al Asayel Street via Al Wasl Club Street. It can accommodate up to 3,600 vehicles per hour and forms part of the Oud Metha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project, which is now 90 per cent complete.
Once the entire project is finished, motorists can expect travel times across the area to fall from 20 minutes to just five minutes, a 75 per cent reduction. The improvements are expected to benefit drivers travelling between Deira, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, Al Quoz and Al Barsha.
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His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said the project is part of the wider Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development Project and has been launched to support Dubai’s rapid urban growth and rising population.
He said the upgraded road network will serve key residential and commercial areas, including Zabeel, Al Jaddaf, Oud Metha and Umm Hurair, along with important landmarks such as Latifa Hospital and Al Wasl Club. More than 420,000 residents are expected to benefit from the improvements by 2030.
The wider project will increase the capacity of Oud Metha Street by 50 per cent, from 10,400 vehicles per hour to 15,600 vehicles per hour in both directions.
More improvements are just weeks away. By the end of August 2026, the RTA will open two new tunnels and another bridge to further ease congestion.
One tunnel will connect the service road on Oud Metha Street with Sheikh Rashid Road for traffic heading towards Bur Dubai. The second tunnel will carry vehicles from Dubai–Al Ain Road to Al Wasl Club Street, helping eliminate traffic conflict points and improve the overall flow.
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Another bridge will provide a dedicated left turn for vehicles travelling from Al Asayel Street to Oud Metha Street, while upgrades to Sheikh Rashid Road and Zabeel Palace Street will increase capacity at several busy junctions.
The project also includes improvements to Al Wasl Club Street, including wider exits towards Al Khail Road, new service roads and additional parking spaces.
Earlier this year, the RTA opened two other bridges under the same development. One serves traffic from Al Asayel Street towards Al Wasl Club Street, while the second links Al Asayel Street with Al Khail Road towards Business Bay Crossing.
Together, the upgrades are designed to improve traffic flow across central Dubai and support one of the city’s fastest-growing areas, making everyday journeys quicker and more reliable for thousands of motorists.
