The RTA insist the enormous Dhs 2billion Dubai Canal project will not affect the flow of traffic on the Sheikh Zayed Road despite the weekend announcement that a diversion will be put in place from October near Business Bay.

In order to allow for a 16-lane, one kilometre-long flyover to be built on the current stretch of road, vehicles will be sent on an 800-metre detour throughout the construction process.

The plan will see south-bound traffic shifted to the side of the Abu Dhabi-bound carriageway, and north-bound traffic use the vacated south-bound stretch of road. Once the first half of the bridge is completed, traffic heading in the direction of Sharjah will be moved onto the bridge.

“Traffic on Shaikh Zayed Road will not be disturbed,” a spokesman for the RTA told Gulf News. “The diversions are being planned in a way that the movement of traffic continues to be free-flowing. The same number of temporary tracks will be built that are currently available on Shaikh Zayed Road, following which work on the construction of the flyover will begin.

“Initially, traffic heading towards Abu Dhabi will be diverted to the temporary tracks. Traffic heading towards Sharjah will be shifted to the tracks that currently serve traffic towards Abu Dhabi.”

Once complete, the entire project will see the already extended Creek flow through Safa Park, acorss Al Wasl Road and back to the sea. According to Gulf News, the Sheikh Zayed Road flyover will be 8.5 metres high to allow for boats to pass through, with the whole phase costing Dhs 500million.

Phase Two of the project involves the building of similar flyovers at Al Wasl Road and Jumeirah Beach, while Phase Three is the actual creation of the 3km-long canal itself.