Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has selected Beijing-headquartered China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for a contract to deliver the Al-Safa Street improvement project in Dubai.

The project extends 1,500 metres from the junction of Al-Safa Street with Sheikh Zayed Road to the junction with Al-Wasl Street.

The project involves the construction of two bridges and two tunnels with a total length of 3.1 kilometres (km), the widening of surface roads, and upgrades to intersections and traffic signal systems.

The project will reduce the travel time on Al-Safa Street from 12 minutes to just three minutes, and double the street’s capacity from 6,000 to 12,000 vehicles an hour in both directions.

It will serve as a gateway to some of Dubai’s key landmarks, including City Walk and the Coca-Cola Arena.

US-based engineering firm CDM Smith is the project consultant.

In June, RTA had started the survey and soil testing for the Al-Safa Street improvement project. The early works are being undertaken by the local Al-Mawazeen Soil Testing & Surveying Company.

Planning for growth

In March 2021, the government launched the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. Its launch referenced studies indicating that the emirate’s population will reach 5.8 million by 2040, up from 3.3 million in 2020. The daytime population is set to increase from 4.5 million in 2020 to 7.8 million in 2040.

In December 2022, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved the 20-Minute City Policy as part of the second phase of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan.

In addition to the road projects, the RTA’s Dubai Metro Blue Line extension forms part of Dubai’s plans to improve residents’ quality of life by cutting journey times, as outlined in the policy.

The policy aims for residents to be able to meet 80% of their daily requirements within a 20-minute journey time, either on foot or by bicycle. This goal will be achieved by developing integrated service centres with all the necessary facilities and increasing the population density around mass transit stations.