Dubai: Construction work has started on a major diversion coming up on Shaikh Zayed Road for the Dubai Canal project, officials said on Sunday.
The initial phase of the work, located near Safa Park, involves building a diversion in the Dubai-Abu Dhabi direction.
The diversion itself will be ready and open to traffic at the end of October, according to the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).
The one kilometre stretch of road, from Business Bay Metro station to Interchange 2, will be diverted on both sides of the road.
Maitha Bin Udai, CEO of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, said: “The Abu Dhabi-bound traffic stream will be routed to the new traffic diversion, while maintaining the traffic movement outbound from Abu Dhabi on Shaikh Zayed Road by diverting it to the lanes currently directed towards Abu Dhabi.
“Parallel to this, the RTA will be starting construction works on the northern bridge in the direction of Dubai on Shaikh Zayed Road near the Metro line after routing the traffic movement directly to the traffic diversion.”
The flow of traffic on the busiest highway in Dubai will not be impacted and the number of lanes will be kept the same, the RTA has said.
Shaikh Zayed Road is one of Dubai’s biggest highways, with six lanes in each direction.
The nearly Dh2 billion Dubai Canal project is extending Dubai Creek from Business Bay to the Arabian Sea in Jumeirah.
Dubai Canal, being built in phases, is expected to be ready by September 2016.
The three-kilometre canal will run across Shaikh Zayed Road, a side of Safa Park, Al Wasl Road and Jumeirah Beach Road before emptying into the sea.
It means the Bur Dubai side of the city (which is separated by Dubai Creek) will effectively become an island.
The project was launched in October 2013 by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
It will include malls, hotels, restaurants, walkways, pedestrian and traffic bridges, and marine transport and leisure facilities.
The project works have been split into three contracts: the first comprises the construction of bridges across Dubai Canal on Shaikh Zayed Road, consisting of eight lanes in each direction.
The bridges will rise eight metres to allow free navigation of vessels in the Canal round the clock.
The second contract includes the construction of bridges across Dubai Canal on the Jumeirah and Al Wasl roads (spanning three lanes on Jumeirah Road and two lanes on Al Wasl Road in each direction).
There will also be a flyover from Al Wasl Road to Al Hadiqa Road in the direction of Shaikh Zayed Road. To enable the works, existing utility lines will be shifted and traffic will be diverted.
The third contract involves the drilling of a 3.2km-long canal, landfilling works of an island, building a marina for boats and the RTA Water Bus, and constructing three pedestrian bridges above the Canal to link the Jumeirah Beach Walk with Safa Park Walk.
