Work on the Airport Street Project, covering Rashidiya and Casablanca intersections in Dubai, is progressing at a steady pace with almost 50 per cent of the project ready, while Phase Two, covering Nad Al Hamar and Marrakech intersections, has reached 40 per cent completion, said a top government official.

The Dh404-million ($110 million) development is due for completion in the first half of 2018, stated Mattar Al Tayer, the director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Al Tayer said with the work in full swing, Phase One of the Airport Street project was likely to be opened this December, while the entire project will be ready in the first half of 2018, he added.

The RTA chief was speaking after his recent inspection to the project site.

"Works completed so far included Al Khawaneej-bound Bridge at Al Rashidiya Intersection and one out of five bridges at Marrakech Intersection in the same direction," noted Al Tayer.

"Works in a tunnel at Marrakech Intersection will start this July. The progress of construction works has reached 70 per cent on the flyover at Nad Al Hamar Intersection, whereas the completion rate in the flyover at Casablanca Intersection has reached 50 per cent.

According to him, the scope of work includes the construction of bridges, a tunnel at Marrakech Intersection, and bridges at Rashidiya Intersection as well as the Airport Street junctions with Casablanca Street and Nad Al Hamar Street.

It also includes improving at-grade intersections, and constructing a service road of three lanes in each direction to separate the traffic movement from and to Nad Al Hamar Street from the traffic on the Airport Street starting from Rashidiya Intersection up to Marrakech Intersection, stated Al Tayer.

On completion, the project will help boost the capacity of the Airport Street by an additional 5,000 vehicles per hour besides enhancing the traffic safety level, and reducing the transit time on the Airport Street from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to Casablanca Street from 30 minutes to five minutes, he added.

Al Tayer said the Improvement of Airport Street Project is part of RTA’s plans to accommodate the projected growth in the number of passengers using the Dubai International Airport which is expected to shoot up to 92 million passengers by 2020.

"Thus, the traffic study highlighted the importance of finalising the Improvement of the Airport Street Project by the end of 2017," he added.

The Improvement of the Airport Street Project encompasses the improvement of Rashidiya Intersection through constructing a bridge on the Airport Street of three lanes in each direction, which is expected to slash the waiting time at the intersection from 13 minutes to less than one minute.

It also includes upgrading the intersection of the Airport-Nad Al Hamar streets through the construction of an additional bridge of two lanes in each direction to serve the traffic from Nad Al Hamar Street heading towards the Airport Street, he added.-TradeArabia News Service