Dubai plans new creek crossings

13 January 2013

Plans for four new bridges will be revived

Dubai is considering plans for new transport projects in existing urban areas, which include new bridges across the creek that will require billions of dollars of new investment.

The emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has received proposals from consultants for a study that will prepare plans for future road and transport projects in Dubai’s central business district, from the Sharjah border in the north, to Port Rashid in the south and inland as far as Ras al-Khor.

The bidders are:

  • Parsons International (US)
  • Aecom (US)
  • Halcrow (UK)
  • Hyder (UK)
  • Dar al-Handasah (Lebanon)
  • CD Smith (US)
  • Aurecon (local office)

The plans will include four new creek crossings, the sixth crossing, the Sheraton bridge, a permanent structure that will replace the existing floating bridge, and a new crossing in the Shindagha area. The study will also consider introducing new Salik toll gates to ease congestion in the area.

The bridges have been considered before. In 2006, the RTA appointed consultants to design three new bridges crossing the creek. Canada’s Cansult, which is now part of Aecom, designed the Shindagha bridge connecting Mina road in Bur Dubai and Corniche road in Deira, and the Sheraton bridge that connecting Omar bin Khattab road in Deira and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed road in Bur Dubai. Parsons was chosen to design the proposed sixth crossing that will link the Lagoons in the Ras al-Khor/Nad al-Hammar area, and Dubai Health Care City phase II in the Jadaf/Oud Metha area.

In 2007, the RTA opened the floating bridge. The temporary floating bridge, which is still used, is located 500 metres east of Maktoum bridge and stretches across the creek between Ittihad road next to Dubai Creek Golf &Yacht Club in Deira and Riyadh Street between Dubai Courts and Creek Park in Bur Dubai.

The RTA is also tendering the first phase of the extension of Dubai Creek across Sheikh Zayed road.

Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority has invited contractors to bid by 4 February for the first major construction package on the extension of Dubai Creek. The contract has been split into two parts. Section 1a involves building a bridge that will take traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road across the proposed creek extension. Section 1b covers the excavation and marine work for a stretch of the waterway running from Business Bay running past Safa Park and leading towards Al-Wasl Road.

The tender closing date is 4 February. The prequalified contractors are:

  • Al-Naboodah Contracting (local)/Bel Hasa Six Construction (local/Belgium)
  • China State Construction Engineering Corporation (China)
  • Dutco Balfour Beatty (local/UK)
  • Gunal (Turkey)
  • National Wheel J&P (local/Cyprus)
  • Wade Adams (local)

The consultant is Parsons.

Later packages on the scheme will involve bridges crossing Al-Wasl Road and Beach Road, and excavation and other marine works leading out to the Gulf. Once complete, the extension will connect Business Bay to the Gulf. In addition to crossing Sheikh Zayed Road, the waterway will also cross Al-Wasl Road and Beach Road before entering the sea.

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