Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has finished work on the Oud Maitha Road and Al Asayel Street Development Project, a large-scale infrastructure scheme designed to relieve pressure on one of the city’s busier road corridors and support population growth in the surrounding districts.
The project covers 14 kilometres of roads, four upgraded intersections, four new bridges and two tunnels with a combined span of 4,300 metres.
It serves the districts of Za’abeel, Al Jaddaf, Oud Maitha and Umm Hurair, as well as facilities including Latifa Hospital and Al Wasl Club. The RTA expects the population of areas connected by the project to exceed 420,000 by 2030.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said capacity on Oud Maitha Street has increased from 10,400 to 15,600 vehicles per hour in both directions, a rise of 50 per cent, while typical journey times have fallen from 20 minutes to five minutes.
“The project represents an important addition to Dubai’s road network, given its key location and its role in strengthening connectivity between many corridors, residential and development areas, and service facilities. It also improves intersection efficiency, facilitates access to key destinations, and enhances traffic safety. The project reflects RTA’s approach to developing integrated and sustainable infrastructure solutions centred on anticipating future growth, supporting urban expansion, and improving the daily mobility experience of road users,” Al Tayer said in a statement.
“The project increases the capacity of Oud Maitha Street from 10,400 to 15,600 vehicles per hour in both directions, an increase of up to 50 per cent, while reducing journey time from 20 minutes to five minutes, a 75 per cent saving in time. This improves traffic flow and connectivity between Oud Maitha Road and Al Asayel Street and the surrounding road network,” he added.
The scope of works at individual intersections was considerable. At the junction of Oud Maitha Road and Sheikh Rashid Road, a lane was added to the left-turn ramp towards Al Garhoud Bridge, lifting capacity there to 1,800 vehicles per hour, while right-turn lanes from Sheikh Rashid Road onto Oud Maitha Road were extended from two to three, raising that capacity to 4,000 vehicles per hour.
A tunnel connecting the service road on Oud Maitha Road to the Sheikh Rashid Road intersection was also built to ease traffic towards Bur Dubai.
At the intersection of Oud Maitha Road with Al Asayel Street and Al Wasl Club Street, two new bridges now link Al Asayel Street with Al Khail Road via Al Wasl Club Street.
The first, carrying two lanes, handles 2,400 vehicles per hour from Al Asayel towards Al Wasl Club Street; the second, with three lanes, handles 3,600 vehicles per hour in the opposite direction. A further two-lane bridge serves left-turn traffic from Al Asayel Street onto Oud Maitha Road at the same capacity.
At the Al Wasl Club Street and Al Khail Road junction, a two-lane bridge with a capacity of 3,000 vehicles per hour now directs traffic towards Business Bay Crossing.
Separately, at the intersection of Za’abeel Palace Street with Al Khail Road and Oud Maitha Road, a lane was added to the left-turn ramp from Al Khail Road towards Dubai–Al Ain Road, doubling capacity from 900 to 1,800 vehicles per hour. A single-lane tunnel handles traffic in the opposing direction, and the bridge from Al Khail Road towards Oud Maitha Road was widened from two to three lanes, pushing its capacity from 2,200 to 3,300 vehicles per hour.
