Dubai extends closure of Floating Bridge 'until further notice'

Crossing was shut on April 17 for maintenance

Dubai's Floating Bridge will remain closed after maintenance for technical tests. Pawan Singh / The National

Dubai's Floating Bridge, which connects Deira to Bur Dubai, will remain closed “until further notice” for technical tests, the Roads and Transport Authority said on Saturday.

The bridge has been closed since Monday April 17 for maintenance, the authority said last month.

It was scheduled to reopen to traffic on May 22. However, the RTA said tests are required.

“The Floating Bridge closure has been extended in both directions until further notice,” the RTA said on Saturday.

Motorists have been advised to continue to use alternative roads and crossings to avoid congestion.

“Please use alternative routes, Al Maktoum Bridge, Infinity Bridge, Al Garhoud Bridge, and Al Mamzar exit coming from Al Ittihad Street in addition to the main roads such as Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road,” the RTA said.

The Floating Bridge was opened 16 years ago to help ease the flow of traffic between Deira and Bur Dubai.

The pontoon bridge is one of six crossings on Dubai Creek.

When the bridge is open, a 10-minute operation every night ensures the bridge goes up at 10pm to let vessels on the Creek pass and is reversed at 6am for traffic to cross the waterway.

It has two independent bridge structures that span the entire Creek, to accommodate the traffic in two directions.

Between the two 115-metre-long concrete pontoons is a hydraulically driven swing gate made of steel, which is opened and closed every morning and night.

The six-lane structure allows thousands of cars to pass over it every hour, with up to 6,000 at peak times.