The bridge links International City with Al Warqaa and eases the mobility of pedestrians between the two sides of Ras Al Khor Road.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced the completion of a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists crossing over Ras Al Khor road (Dubai-Hatta) extending 475 metres in length. The bridge, which has a width of 5 metres (3m for bikers and 2m for pedestrians), is fitted with rails between the lanes and on both sides.

The bridge links the International City and Al Warqaa and eases the mobility of pedestrians between the two sides of Ras Al Khor Rd. It also links the cycling tracks from Al Khawaneej, Mushrif and Al Warqaa with International City and  Dragon Mart.

“RTA constructed this bridge in response to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, Chairman of the Executive Council, to make Dubai a bicycle-friendly city, which requires the provision of suitable alternatives that encourages people to practice cycling.

It is also constructed in the context of RTA’s efforts to improve the standard of living in the city, make residents happier and migrate to sustainable transit means with the least environmental pollutants.

It also echoes Dubai Traffic Safety Strategy envisioning zero fatalities to make Dubai the safest city in the world in 2021,” said Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA.

370 Tons of Steel

“The new bridge has a steel and concrete structure that required the transportation of 370 tons of structural steel to the site in four different pieces. A reinforced concrete layer was then placed on the upper deck of the bridge. The bridge spans 475 metres in length, which includes a steel structure part that extends 110 metres. The bridge is built on three concrete pillars and connects with ascending and descending slopes on both sides extending about 180 metres. The bridge extends five metres in width: three metres for cyclists and two meters for pedestrians. It is fitted with slip-resisting flooring and subdued decorative lighting. It has metal railings on both sides for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists,” explained Al Tayer.

“RTA had previously completed cycling tracks in different parts of Dubai including Al Warqaa, Mushrif and Al Khawaneej. It also constructed two bridges shared by cyclists and pedestrians on Al Khawaneej and Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Road,” he noted.

129 Footbridges

“The number of footbridges in Dubai has rocketed from 13 bridges in 2006 to 129 bridges in 2020. RTA intends to construct 31 additional footbridges between 2021 and 2026, which will bring the total number of footbridges in Dubai to 160. RTA’s efforts to improve pedestrians safety contributed to reducing pedestrian fatalities in Dubai by as much as 81% between 2007 and 2020,” commented Al Tayer.

The total length of cycling tracks constructed in Dubai till the end of 2020 is 425 km. RTA plans to build more cycling tracks that will increase the length of cycling tracks to 668 km by 2025. Through the construction of cycling tracks, RTA aims to link Dubai’s hotspots with stations of various mass transit means. It also adds to the efforts of making Dubai friendlier to cyclists. Such a drive contributes to Dubai 2021 vision that seeks to make the city the ideal place for living and business as well as the favourite and safest destination for visitors.

Cycling Speed Limit

RTA has set a speed limit of 30 km/h for bicycles on dedicated tracks, and 20 km/h for bicycles on tracks shared with pedestrians inside urban areas. Varying speeds were set for training tracks. Setting speed caps for bicycles stems from RTA’s keenness on the safety of both pedestrians and cyclists.