And it has boosted capacity in this area by 25 per cent…

Traffic in Dubai, yeah, yeah, we know. However RTA are trying their best to reduce it in various different areas around the city. In fact, there are 33 things either done recently or in the works by RTA and Dubai Government to help ease traffic in Dubai and in this case it’s on the main road we all love and adore, Sheikh Zayed Road.

RTA just announced the completion of their expansion of Sheikh Zayed Road and it’s due to ease traffic and enhance road capacity by 25 per cent. To be exact, RTA have expanded the service road adjacent to Financial Centre Metro Station in the Abu Dhabi-bound direction, increasing the number of lanes from three to four.

This enhancement has boosted road capacity significantly, and it can now hold 3,200 vehicles per hour, up from 2,400 vehicles. That’s a lot of cars… The upgrade has also reduced congestion at the entrance, eliminated vehicle queues, and generally improved traffic flow, cutting the journey time from five minutes to just two minutes. Every little helps.

Ahmed Al Khzaimy, Director of Traffic at RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency stated that RTA had optimised the traffic merging distance between Al Khail Road and Financial Centre Street in the Dubai-bound direction. “Extending the merging distance has eased congestion and improved service levels, resulting in a 25% reduction in journey time along Sheikh Zayed Road—from four minutes to three minutes—ensuring smoother and more efficient traffic flow,”

This update is welcomed, and will especially ease commuters journeys home at rush hour. This announcement comes after a recent announcement of the use of AI-powered traffic systems that will also assist in the improvement of traffic flow.

Images: Dubai Media Office