RTA completes quarter of diversion along Sheikh Zayed Road for Dubai Canal project

Work on the Business Bay canal project is carried out on Sheikh Zayed Road near Safa Park. A 1km traffic diversion will come into effect towards the end of October. Jaime Puebla / The National

DUBAI // Officials are finalising work in preparation for a 1km-long traffic diversion on Sheikh Zayed Road that will begin from the end of October.

The Roads and Transport Authority said a quarter of the work had been completed and almost three quarters of utility poles have been shifted.

The diversion would enable workers to carry out key earthwork tasks on the Dubai Water Canal project and would affect the flow of traffic near Safa Park.

It is not clear where the diversion would pass but it would consist of the same six lanes, to minimise any disruption to traffic.

At the same time, bridges will be built on Sheikh Zayed Road with eight lanes in each direction for crossing the canal, when it is completed.

The bridges would be eight metres high so that road traffic does not impede water traffic on the canal.

These bridges constitute the first phase of the development. The second phase involved smaller bridges across the canal, on Jumeirah Road and Al Wasl Road, which would be three lanes and two lanes respectively. There would also be a flyover from Al Wasl Road to Al Hadiqa Road.

The third phase would involve the drilling of the canal itself, as well as landfilling on the resultant island that would emerge from the work. There would also be construction of a seawall to create an artificial beach.

A marina for boats and the RTA’s water bus, as well as pedestrian bridges linking Jumeirah Beach Walk to Safa Park Walk, were also part of the project.