Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has officially opened a new 800-metre tunnel with four lanes in each direction, designed to significantly improve traffic flow along Umm Suqeim Street. The tunnel forms a key part of the Umm Suqeim Street Development Project, which runs from the intersection with Al Khail Road to the junction with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
The upgraded road network is expected to benefit more than one million residents across several major communities, including Al Barsha South 1, 2, and 3, Dubai Hills, Arjan, and Dubai Science Park.
The project significantly boosts connectivity across four key corridors in Dubai: Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Khail Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, and Emirates Road. It expands the capacity of Umm Suqeim Street to accommodate 16,000 vehicles per hour in both directions, resulting in smoother traffic flow. According to Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at the RTA, the development also slashes travel time between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Al Khail Road by 61%, reducing the journey from 9.7 minutes to just 3.8 minutes.
Umm Suqeim Street can now handle 16,000 vehicles per hour in both directions thanks to the project's completion.
The rebuilding of the crossroads at Umm Suqeim Street and Al Barsha South Street next to Kings' School is part of the 4.6-kilometer project, according to Al Tayer. This comprises the recently opened underpass and a surface-level crossroads with signals to further facilitate traffic flow.
During this phase, two bridges were built, one crossing the eastern street parallel to Al Asayel Street and the other crossing the western street parallel to First Al Khail Road. each bridges had three lanes in each directions.
To provide a safe crossing between the Al Quoz and Al Barsha regions, the phase also involved the construction of three pedestrian bridges along Umm Suqeim Street, as well as two signalized crossings at the intersections of Umm Suqeim Street with Al Asayel Street and First Al Khail Road.
