Dubai opens new DWTC bridge, cutting travel time to two minutes
Dubai has opened a new bridge near the Dubai World Trade Centre, cutting travel time for drivers leaving the busy events district from around 10 minutes to just two minutes.
The new 500-metre, two-lane bridge is part of the major Dh633 million Al Mustaqbal Street Development Project, designed to improve traffic flow across some of Dubai’s busiest business and residential areas.
New bridge improves access from Dubai World Trade Centre
The bridge will serve traffic travelling from Dubai World Trade Centre and One Central towards the intersection of Al Mustaqbal Street and Za’abeel Palace Street.
The new connection is expected to significantly ease congestion during large exhibitions, conferences and other major events held at Dubai World Trade Centre.
The area regularly experiences heavy traffic due to its proximity to several important districts, including DIFC, Downtown Dubai and Business Bay.
Travel time to fall across Al Mustaqbal Street
The bridge forms part of a wider redevelopment of Al Mustaqbal Street between Za’abeel Palace Street and Financial Centre Street.
Once the full project is completed, journey times along the road are expected to fall from around 13 minutes to six minutes.
Road capacity will also increase by approximately 33 per cent, rising from 6,600 vehicles per hour to around 8,800 vehicles per hour in both directions.
A 3.5-kilometre section of Al Mustaqbal Street will also be expanded from three lanes to four lanes in each direction.
Half a million people expected to benefit
Around 500,000 residents and visitors are expected to benefit from the improvements.
The project serves several of Dubai’s most important commercial, residential and tourism districts, including Dubai World Trade Centre, DIFC, Za’abeel, Downtown Dubai and Business Bay.
Al Mustaqbal Street is particularly important because it helps connect Downtown Dubai with Business Bay while providing access to major financial and events districts.
More bridges opening in Dubai
Work on the wider Al Mustaqbal Street project has already passed 50 per cent completion and is progressing ahead of schedule.
Another bridge is expected to open by the end of August, providing access for traffic travelling from Sheikh Rashid Road towards 2nd December Street.
A further bridge is scheduled to open in October, connecting Al Majlis Street with 2nd December Street as part of the World Trade Centre Roundabout redevelopment.
Three new tunnels planned for 2027
The project will also include three tunnels with a combined length of approximately 1.5 kilometres, scheduled to open in February 2027.
One three-lane tunnel will carry traffic along Al Mustaqbal Street towards Deira and will have capacity for around 4,500 vehicles per hour.
A second two-lane tunnel will provide left-turn access towards Trade Centre Street, while another one-lane tunnel will serve One Central.
Together, the new underground connections are designed to reduce bottlenecks and create more direct routes through the district.
Better connections for pedestrians and cyclists
The redevelopment goes beyond additional lanes and bridges.
Plans also include improved connections around Exhibition Street and Trade Centre Street, upgraded intersections, new pedestrian routes and a dedicated cycling track.
A pedestrian bridge is also being developed on Al Sukook Street, while connections between nearby developments and Dubai Metro stations are being improved.
The aim is to make the district easier to navigate not only for motorists but also for people travelling by public transport, bicycle or on foot.
World Trade Centre Roundabout also being transformed
Major work is also continuing at the nearby World Trade Centre Roundabout, where construction is already more than 85 per cent complete.
The redevelopment will eventually include five bridges spanning a total of 5,000 metres and will transform the existing roundabout into a surface-level intersection.
At the same time, RTA is working on the Oud Maitha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project, which includes four major intersections, 4.3 kilometres of bridges and 14 kilometres of roads.
That project is expected to reduce travel times from approximately 20 minutes to 10 minutes once fully operational.
Dubai continues investing in faster journeys
The opening of the new DWTC bridge is another step in Dubai’s wider effort to increase road capacity and improve connectivity as the city’s population, visitor numbers and business districts continue to expand.
For drivers travelling through the World Trade Centre area, the immediate improvement is significant: a journey that previously took around 10 minutes can now be completed in approximately two.
As additional bridges and tunnels open over the coming months, the wider Al Mustaqbal Street corridor is expected to become faster and more efficient for hundreds of thousands of people travelling through central Dubai.
