Deira-bound traffic diversion at Rashidiya
dubai — From July 28, Deirabound motorists have been advised to take the new traffic diversion at the Rashidiya Interchange. Deirabound traffic on the Airport Road coming from the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Al Khawaneej Road will be diverted to the new flyover.
Rashidiya-bound motorists will use the leftward lanes to take them to the existing signalised junction, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Wednesday.
According to the RTA, the diversion works are part of the first contract of the Airport Road improvement project, aimed at improving the traffic flow at intersections of the area.
Maitha bin Adai, CEO of the RTA’s traffic and roads agency, said: “The Airport Road improvement project will increase the capacity of the Airport Road by an additional 5,000 vehicles per hour. It will also enhance the traffic safety level, and reduce the transit time on the Airport Road from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road up to Casablanca Road from 30 minutes to five.”
The first contract for the Airport Road improvement project covers the construction of Rashidiya and Casablanca interchanges, and the project is expected to be fully opened by the end of this year.
“The project covers improving Rashidiya Interchange through the construction of a flyover on the Airport Road comprising of three
These improvements will ease the existing tailbacks generated by the overlapping traffic of vehicles heading towards Casablanca Intersection and those coming from Terminal 1.” Maitha bin Adai, CEO of the RTA’s traffic and roads agency
lanes in each direction and upgrading the surface intersections. These works are expected to slash the waiting time at the intersection from 13 minutes to less than one,” bin Adai noted.
The project also includes upgrading the Airport–Casablanca Road Intersection, constructing an additional single-lane ramp to serve the traffic from the Airport Road in the direction of Casablanca Road — thus eliminating the waiting time at the traffic signal.
It also includes the construction of an alternative road for traffic inbound from Al Garhoud, enabling direct access to Terminals 1 and 3 of the Dubai International Airport, besides increasing the number of lanes of Casablanca Road in the direction of Al Garhoud from three to four lanes.
“These improvements will reduce the total waiting time at Casablanca Intersection from three minutes to one, and ease the existing tailbacks generated by the overlapping traffic of vehicles heading towards Casablanca Intersection and those coming from Terminal 1, heading left to Casablanca Road,” bin Adai explained.
New diversion
Meanwhile, the RTA will close the traffic from Airport Terminal 1 to Deira in the next phase, to complete the remaining works in the new flyover on Casablanca Interchange (Cargo Village), but will provide an alternative corridor through Road 51 and passing along Casablanca Road.