Etihad Rail train reduces travel time for residents between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that after the completion of the Oud Metha and Al Asail Road Development Project, travel time along a key corridor in Dubai will be reduced from twenty minutes to just five. This project is nearing completion, having reached 90 percent readiness.

New Bridge and Increased Capacity

As part of this development, a large three-lane bridge was commissioned on Sunday, July 26. It is intended for motorists traveling from Al Hail Road towards Al Asail Street via Al Wasl Club Street. This bridge has a capacity to handle 3600 vehicles per hour.

According to the authority, two tunnels and another bridge are planned to open by the end of August. The first tunnel will connect the service road on Oud Metha Street with the Sheikh Rashid Road intersection for drivers heading to Bur Dubai. The second tunnel will serve traffic coming from the Dubai-Al Ain Road towards Al Wasl Club Street, which should alleviate existing congestion.

Overall Infrastructure Improvements

A separate bridge will also open to facilitate left turns from Al Asail Street onto Oud Metha Street. Mattar Al Tayer, CEO and Chairman of the RTA Executive Council, stated that the project includes the modernization of four major intersections, the construction of two tunnels and bridges totaling 4.3 km, as well as 14 km of roads.

These works aim to improve traffic flow between Oud Metha Street, Sheikh Rashid Street, Al Asail Street, Al Hail Road, and Dubai-Al Ain Road. Improvements include additional lanes, new service roads, and modifications to several exits and access points. Once completed, the bridges and tunnels will increase capacity at key entrances, reduce traffic jams, and improve access to Al Wasl Club and surrounding residential and service areas.

Impact on Residents and Previous Openings

The development will support several residential, service, and construction areas, including Zabail, Al Jaddaf, Oud Metha, and Umm Hurair, as well as Latifa Hospital and Al Wasl Club. It is expected that the population of the areas covered by the project will exceed 420,000 people by 2030. Furthermore, the project will allow for a reduction in travel time by up to 75 percent.

Earlier, in the first quarter of 2026, the RTA commissioned two other bridges under this project. The first is located at the intersection of Oud Metha Street, Al Asail Street, and Al Wasl Club. This two-lane bridge accommodates 2400 vehicles per hour and serves traffic traveling from Al Asail Street to Al Wasl Club Street. The second bridge is located at the intersection of Al Wasl Club Street and Al Hail Road and is for motorists traveling from Al Asail Street to Al Hail Road towards Business Bay Crossing.

AD Mobility has introduced two new bus routes that provide connectivity between the Mohammed bin Zayed City Train Station and the main bus stations—Main and Al Zahya. These lines operate in both directions.

For many residents and workers in the Business Bay, Barsha Heights, and Al Quoz areas, the most frustrating part of daily commutes is not the distance, but the process of entering Dubai's congested main roads.

Development Plan for the New Corridor

Dubai plans to solve this issue with the recently approved Al-Haal Street Development Plan. This plan involves creating a 15-kilometer elevated corridor with three lanes in each direction, running parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road. Construction is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2027 and be completed by the fourth quarter of 2030.

According to Dubai authorities, the new corridor will provide access to approximately 2.6 million people, improve connectivity to Al Barsha, Al Quoz, Business Bay, and Meydan, increase road capacity by about 9,000 vehicles per hour, and, most importantly, reduce travel time on Sheikh Zayed Road by 51 percent during peak hours.

Functional Difference from Main Roads

An analysis by A Khaleej Times shows that Al-Haal Street serves a different function compared to Dubai's two main north-south highways. While Sheikh Zayed Road is designed for the rapid movement of large volumes of traffic across the city, Al-Haal Road itself acts as a high-speed bypass, passing through numerous residential and commercial zones where daily routes begin and end.

This corridor crosses areas such as Business Bay, Al Quoz, Barsha Heights, Green Zones, and Meydan—places where people live, work, study, receive deliveries, and use taxis daily. Unlike major city highways that primarily serve transit traffic, Al-Haal connects neighboring communities, becoming an important route for shorter daily journeys.

Residents' Views on the New Route

Mohammed Arif, a finance specialist residing in Business Bay and working in DIFC, noted that despite the short distance between home and office, the main difficulty lies in exiting Business Bay during peak hours. He emphasized that sometimes the time spent just reaching Sheikh Zayed Road exceeds the actual travel time, and the new corridor could significantly simplify these short daily trips.

Residents of Barsha Heights have also expressed hope for an additional north-south route. Anjali, who commutes daily from Techom to Business Bay, stated that she usually has to choose between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Haal Road depending on the traffic. She believes that having another major corridor will distribute cars across more roads, and saving even 10 or 15 minutes a day would be a significant improvement.

Ridwan Ahmed, who works in Al Quoz and lives in JLT, sees the problem not so much in the distance as in bottlenecks. He reported that even when leaving the office on time, he spends a lot of time trying to reach the main roads. He believes that improving connectivity around Al Quoz and adjacent areas will make journeys less stressful.

Benefits for Drivers and Couriers

Taxi drivers who spend most of their day on Dubai's roads believe the project could improve short trips between neighboring areas and allow them to arrive faster at online ride requests. Sajid Rasul, who has been driving a taxi in Dubai for over ten years, noted that many passengers travel only between places like Business Bay, Al Quoz, and Barsha.

He added that they often have to use Sheikh Zayed Road now because it is the faster option. If Al-Haal becomes a smooth corridor, many of these short trips will not require using the main highways, which will also help distribute traffic across the entire road network. Delivery personnel also noted that they sometimes choose longer routes on the highways because stopping at multiple traffic lights can take more time during busy periods. Shahid Hussain, who handles food delivery across central Dubai, said that if Al-Haal becomes a smoother route, it will help deliver orders to customers faster during peak hours.