Dubai Travel Time Drops to 5 Minutes with New RTA Bridge

Great news for Dubai drivers! Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened a major new bridge as part of the Oud Metha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project. This exciting update will bring quick relief to one of the city's busiest areas.

This new bridge is part of a larger plan to clear up traffic at busy spots linking Al Khail Road, Sheikh Rashid Road, Dubai–Al Ain Road, and Oud Metha. Once the full project is ready by the end of August, travel times will drop from 20 minutes to just five minutes. Road capacity will also increase by 50 percent, making daily commutes much easier for over 420,000 residents by 2030.

New Bridges to Ease Your Commute

The newly opened three-lane bridge can handle up to 3,600 vehicles per hour. It connects Al Khail Road to Al Asayel Street through Al Wasl Club Street. This direct route helps drivers bypass busy intersections, saving time and reducing stress on the road.

The RTA announced that 90 percent of the work is already complete. By the end of August, motorists will benefit from two new tunnels and another bridge that will help separate traffic at major junctions.

Smoother Traffic Flow

The upcoming tunnels and bridges are designed to make your journey smoother:

• One tunnel will connect the Oud Metha Street service road with Sheikh Rashid Road towards Bur Dubai, helping drivers avoid busy surface junctions.
• A second tunnel will link Dubai–Al Ain Road to Al Wasl Club Street, removing traffic overlaps.
• A new bridge will offer a direct left turn from Al Asayel Street to Oud Metha Street to stop long queues.

Supporting Dubai’s Growing Community

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, explained that this project is part of the Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development Project. It supports Dubai's rapid growth under the guidance of Dubai’s leadership.

“The project is one of the key infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing Dubai’s road network. It includes the improvement of four major intersections, the construction of bridges and two tunnels with a total length of 4,300 metres, and roads spanning 14 kilometres,” Al Tayer said.

He added that the upgrades will help many key residential and service areas, including Zabeel, Al Jaddaf, Oud Metha, and Umm Hurair, as well as Latifa Hospital and Al Wasl Club.

“The population of the areas served by the project is expected to exceed 420,000 by 2030,” he said.

He also shared how these changes will improve road capacity:

“The project will increase the capacity of Oud Metha Street from 10,400 vehicles per hour in both directions to 15,600 vehicles per hour, an increase of 50 per cent. It will also reduce travel time from 20 minutes to five minutes.”

Smart Solutions for Daily Drivers

Instead of just making roads wider, the RTA is using smart designs like bridges, tunnels, and dedicated lanes. This helps separate traffic going to Bur Dubai, Business Bay Crossing, Dubai–Al Ain Road, and Al Khail Road so drivers do not have to crowd the same spaces.

The project also improves local service roads, widens bridges, and adds extra lanes for safer and smoother driving.

Earlier this year, the RTA opened two other bridges in the area to connect Al Asayel Street to Al Wasl Club Street and Al Khail Road.

With the final steps finishing next month, Dubai residents can look forward to faster, safer, and much more comfortable journeys every day.