Dubai has opened two new Trade Centre bridges, significantly improving traffic flow. Commuters can now cross the area in just 2 minutes, easing congestion and enhancing connectivity across the city.
Dubai unveils two Trade Centre bridges, cutting travel time to just 2 minutes
Dubai has inaugurated two new bridges as part of the Trade Centre Roundabout development project, reducing travel time from 10 minutes to just 2 minutes. These routes will facilitate smoother traffic from 2nd December Street towards Sheikh Rashid Road and Al Majlis Street.
Commuters can now travel from 2nd December Street to Al Majlis Street, Al Mustaqbal Street, and Zabeel Palace Street in only two minutes, greatly easing congestion around the busy Trade Centre Roundabout. Each bridge features two lanes in both directions, spanning a total of 2,000 meters and accommodating roughly 6,000 vehicles per hour.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) opened the bridges ahead of the originally planned mid-January schedule.
Back in October last year, the RTA had announced plans to build five bridges totaling 5,000 meters, aimed at reducing traffic at the Trade Centre Roundabout and improving overall traffic flow.
The Trade Centre Roundabout is one of Dubai’s key intersections, connecting Sheikh Zayed Road with several important streets, including Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street, Sheikh Rashid Road, 2nd December Street, Zabeel Palace Street, and Al Majlis Street.
Continuing ahead of schedule
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, stated that work on the bridges is progressing ahead of schedule. “The project is moving faster than planned,” he noted. “Overall, it is nearly 50 percent complete, and a phased opening will soon begin.”
He added that in addition to the two bridges already in operation, a bridge connecting Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street is scheduled to open in March. Two more bridges are expected to be operational by October 2026, facilitating traffic from Sheikh Rashid Road and Al Majlis Street towards 2nd December Street.
Once fully completed, the project is expected to reduce average delays at the intersection from 12 minutes to just 90 seconds, while the journey from Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street will drop from six minutes to only one minute.
1,000-metre-long bridge
As part of the Trade Centre development, a second-level bridge with two lanes will connect Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street in the direction of Deira. Spanning 1,000 metres, the bridge is designed to accommodate approximately 3,000 vehicles per hour.
The new infrastructure will serve key commercial, residential, and mixed-use areas, including the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and neighborhoods such as Zabeel, Al Satwa, Al Karama, Al Jafiliya, and Al Mankhool. Over 500,000 residents and visitors are expected to benefit from the upgrades.
This project is part of a broader master plan, which also involves upgrading Al Mustaqbal Street from its junction with Zabeel Palace Street to Financial Centre Street. The full development is scheduled for completion in 2027.
The plan includes constructing bridges and tunnels totaling 1,500 metres, as well as expanding Al Mustaqbal Street from three to four lanes in each direction. This will increase the street’s capacity from 9,000 to 12,000 vehicles per hour and cut travel time from eight minutes to just three and a half minutes.
Additionally, the project encompasses three tunnels totaling 1,100 metres at the Al Mustaqbal Street and Trade Centre Street intersection, along with a 400-metre, two-lane bridge linking the Dubai World Trade Centre to the intersection of Zabeel Palace Street and Al Mustaqbal Street.
