Traffic snarls continue with RTA work

DUBAI // People living in Jumeirah Beach Residences who have dealt with years of roadworks will have to put up with more diversions as the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is planning a kilometre-long re-routing that will last a month.

In what it called the “last traffic diversion”, RTA said that it would involve vehicles having to use the service lanes instead of normal roads, ahead of the Dubai Tram opening in November. The diversions start on Wednesday and end on September 20.

Officials said the re-routing, which had already begun, was at three intersections of Al Sufouh Road, parallel to The Walk.

“The diversion works warrants temporary cessation of the two lanes on both sides of the street, thus shifting traffic temporarily to the service road,” said Maitha bin Udai, chief executive of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency.

“Work will be running day-long in the presence of a team of contractors and consultants ready for any emergency until the completion of the entire tram works,” she said. “The traffic diversion currently under way will include three intersections at the JBR street.”

Residents said they were fed-up with the ongoing congestion and traffic bottlenecks.

“I was hoping the mess would be sorted out,” said Puja Keerthy, who lives in Sadaf, a JBR tower block. “There is a lot of renovation happening in The Walk itself. Some walkways near the Bahar cluster, which is located in between JBR, is being dug up. They seem to be doing a major facelift for the past three months.

“Some days it takes as long as an hour to get in or out of JBR. The traffic backs up until Media City. They have put up new traffic lights. The U-turns keep changing every few days. I hope the diversions end soon.”

Julie Deltour, a resident at the Murjan tower block, agreed. “We are used to it. Every week there is some change in the routes. This is really the worst part of living in JBR. It’s been three years I have been living here and each month there are some changes and surprises. I hope the traffic will get better,” she said.

RTA urged road users to cooperate and put up with the traffic jams caused by the diversions.