The Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), chaired by HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, in collaboration with the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA), has endorsed the awarding of a contract for constructing JAFZA Bridge. The construction of the bridge, which stretches over the Sheikh Zayed Road linking the north and south Jebel Ali Free Zones, costs about AED105 million and construction works are expected to last 18 months.

This project has been undertaken as part of RTAs master plan for roads, bridges, crossings and tunnels aimed at improving the traffic flow in various parts of the Emirate of Dubai including areas under development or investment. The project, which is situated nearby the 10th Interchange of the Sheikh Zayed Road, encompasses the construction of a dual carriageway of three lanes in each direction to link the traffic movement between Jafza North and Jafza South across the Sheikh Zayed Road. It also includes improvement works on roads connected by the bridge at Jafza North and Jafza South. Such improvement works include widening some roads to three lanes in each direction, and widening the existing R/A at Jafza North to accommodate the traffic flowing from the bridge, in addition to lighting & infrastructural works like the shifting of impacted utility lines of water, electricity, irrigation, sewage, rainwater drainage, and communication lines, said Al Tayer.

Upon completion, the project would ensure a smooth traffic movement between Jafza North and Jafza South, and alleviate the intense traffic on Al Maktoum Airport Road as well as the 10th Interchange on the Sheikh Zayed Road, he added.

It is noteworthy that Jafza is a thriving business community accommodating more than 7100 businesses including 100 firms ranked amongst Fortune 500. The area accounts for more than 50% of the total exports, imports and re-exported commodities within or outside Dubai.