Roads and Transport Authority Awards Phase II Contract for Hessa Street Upgrade
Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a major contract for Phase II of the Hessa Street Development Project, covering a 3-km corridor between Al Khail Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.
The scope includes upgrading three key intersections through the construction of 8,835 m of bridges and a 480-m tunnel, along with enhancements to entry and exit points across several connecting roads. Upon completion, Hessa Street’s capacity will double from 4,000 to 8,000 vehicles per hour, serving 10 residential and development areas and benefiting around 650,000 residents. Travel time along the corridor is expected to drop from 24 minutes to just five minutes.
RTA confirmed that Phase I of the project is progressing steadily and is scheduled for completion in April. This phase covers the construction of bridges, dedicated cycling tracks, and intersection upgrades.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said Phase II—focused on upgrading the Al Khail Road–Hessa Street interchange and expanding Hessa Street from two to four lanes in each direction—complements the works completed under Phase I.
Phase I involved upgrading four major intersections at Sheikh Zayed Road, First Al Khail Street, Al Asayel Street, and Al Khail Road. The expansion doubled road capacity to 8,000 vehicles per hour and included the development of a 13.5-km cycling track.
In December 2024, RTA opened a 1,000-m two-lane bridge as part of Phase I, improving traffic flow from Hessa Street to Al Khail Road and reducing travel time between the two corridors from 15 minutes to three minutes, with improved connectivity towards the city centre and Dubai International Airport.
The interchange works also feature grade-separated collector roads, multi-level direct ramps, and flyovers to ease traffic movement towards Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and key residential communities such as Jumeirah Village Circle and Al Barsha South.
According to Al Tayer, the total bridge length under the interchange upgrade reaches 2,215 m, with a projected capacity of 18,200 vehicles per hour. Additional ramps and elevated links will further enhance connectivity and accommodate thousands of vehicles per hour across key junctions, significantly improving traffic efficiency along the corridor.