JLT residents have flashbacks to ‘bad old days’ as new roadworks begin

Reduction of lanes on Road Five has meant five-minute journeys are now taking 20, disgruntled residents say.

Residents are frustrated with delays caused by roadworks at Jumeirah Lakes Towers in Dubai. Victor Besa for The National

DUBAI // Residents of Jumeirah Lakes Towers say traffic has returned to the “bad old days” as diversions caused by construction work lead to serious delays.

Work on Road Five, the one-way street that runs parallel to the JLT community park, is expected to last for a month.

The usual four lanes of traffic turning right on to Sheikh Zayed Road have been reduced to two.

A circular posted in some JLT buildings by master developer Dubai Multi Commodities Centre said the diversions were a result of building on its latest development, which is nearing completion.

But many residents are frustrated with significant delays, particularly during peak hours.

“The traffic was horrendous on Sunday and at first I thought there had been an accident,” said Marie Claremont, from France.

“I used that road twice, at midday and later in the afternoon, at about 3.15pm, and both times it was very busy.”

The closure of two lanes, coupled with two traffic signals, means a normal five-minute journey takes 20 minutes, Ms Claremont said.

“I had an appointment and was late because there was so much traffic,” she said.

“The closure of the two lanes means that it’s as busy at midday as it would be during the peak rush hours in the morning or evening.

“I’m a little more fortunate because I’m in cluster M and can access Sheikh Zayed Road at the other end of JLT, but people in clusters O to W have no option but to use that road.”

The delays came as a surprise to many motorists after an interchange was opened last year, greatly improving the flow of traffic in JLT.

“It’s a real shame because since they improved the roads the traffic situation got much better over the last year or so,” Ms Claremont said.

“There is a supermarket and a branch of my bank in that area but the traffic problems mean it would take so long to get there that it’s better to go somewhere else. For people who have to use it every day, it must be a complete nightmare, as they would be waiting in traffic for 40 minutes or more.”

Paul Stevens was stuck in the traffic while visiting a friend in the area.

“I had just left my friend’s place at about 1pm on Monday and, as I got on to Road Five, it was packed,” Mr Stevens said.

“It wasn’t even rush hour and there was a long queue. I must have been there for about 20 minutes.”

The experience has deterred him from visiting the area until the roads are back to normal.

“It’s not worth it to be that side of JLT because you could get stuck for ages. There aren’t any signs up saying why the diversions are in place but I hope it’s only a temporary thing.”

A notice published on the DMCC website on August 20 advised people to leave more time for their journeys.

“As of today, there are traffic diversions in place in Jumeirah Lakes Towers,” the DMCC said.

“Please allow for some extra time if you are travelling through this area.

“These arrangements will be in place for approximately one month.”

A spokesman for DMCC said: “There are traffic diversions in place in JLT along Road Five, parallel to the community park, due to construction works, which are due for completion soon. This is causing congestion for residents in cluster Y, V and W and for commuters during peak hours.

“Residents and commuters are encouraged to use the First Al Khail Street from Emirates Hills during peak hours for access to all other clusters.”