DUBAI: Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will open Phase II of upgrading Ras Al Khor Street (Ex Al Awir) and entrances of International City Project. The project is constructed in coordination with Nakheel, the main developer of the International City. The project had been undertaken based on traffic impact study for International City and the Dragon Mart, especially after the opening of the expansion of Dragon Mart, and the expected growth of traffic density in the area.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said, “Phase II of the project includes improvements of Al Manama Street and widening the junctions there, namely the extension of Al Manama-Al Warsan 1 Streets (ex Nouakchott St), Al Manama Street-Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, and International City-Al Manama Streets. Improvements of junctions also included the construction of bridges and signalised junctions enabling movement in all directions, namely on Al Manama-International City Streets (ex Street 414), Al Manama-Warsan 1 Streets, and Al Manama Street-Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road,” said Al Tayer.

The improvement of Al Manama Street-Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road included widening the flyover above Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road from three to four lanes in each direction to increase its capacity from 4500 to 6000 vehicles per hour. It also included increasing the number of lanes in the sector from Ras Al Khor Street to Sharjah, and from the International City to Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi, from one to two lanes. The increase will double the capacity of slope roads from 800 to 1600 vehicles per hour.

“Al Manama Street has been widened in the sector between Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and the entrance of the International City from three to six lanes in each direction. The step will increase the street capacity by 1500 vehicles per hour per direction. Al Manama Street has been widened in the sector from the entrance of the International City up to Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street from two to five lanes in each direction. These expansion works are expected to increase the intake of the street from 3000 vehicles per hour to 7500 vehicles per hour.

Phase II also included the improvement of the junction of Al Manama Street and the entrance of the International City to a signalised junction enabling movement in all directions, and the construction of a flyover of three lanes in each direction, offering free crossing of Al Manama Street.