The ministry of infrastructure development has partially opened the Beda Bridge to boost traffic flow and curb congestion between the emirates of Dubai and Sharjah as new academic year starts.

The arterial bridge will get an official opening soon, said Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, minister of infrastructure development.

“The ministry is all set to receive and attend to all remarks, complaints and suggestions related to the mega project which is expected to increase traffic flow, decongest roads and enhance traffic safety in line with the UAE 2021 Vision.”

The project is a critical link between Dubai and northern emirates, he added. “The scheme is meant to cope with the growing vehicular fleet and rapid urban expansion.”

The Dh200 million scheme is set to complete soon, he disclosed.

“The bridge, connecting the Emirates Road and Sharjah-Maleha Road, consists of six lanes, attracting traffic flow from the northern and eastern emirates heading to the emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”

“The project will significantly boost the capacity of the road from 9,900 to 17,700 vehicles per hour in all directions – which means 7,800 more vehicles.”

The bridge will also reduce the trip time and ease traffic congestion for those heading from Dubai to Sharjah and northern emirates in the evening, he pointed out.

“The slow movement of the trucks on the road in the direction Dubai to Sharjah affects traffic flow and its capacity which is only 800 vehicles per hour, but this will become a thing of the past with the opening of the new bridge.”

The project will increase road capacity in the direction from Dubai to Sharjah from 800 to 2,500 vehicles per hour, he elaborated. “Building road of three lanes for 2km in Dubai will increase the capacity of the intersection by 6,000 vehicles per hour,” Eng. Al Hammadi underlined.

Building three lanes on the bridge in the direction of Sharjah will also add 6,000 more hourly vehicles to the capacity of the intersection, he added.

“The mega project also aims to develop and widen the three-lane bridge and add two more lanes in both directions from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah, and three extra lanes from Ras Al Khaimah to Dubai.”