Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has invited consultants to submit proposals by mid-April for the design of a Sixth Crossing across Dubai Creek.

The structure will bridge the waterway in the Ras al-Khor area and will provide access to the Dubai Creek Harbour development from the Oud Metha/Jadaf area.

The winning consultant will prepare designs for a signature bridge and less expensive crossing with a more basic design. It is understood that the crossing, in addition to road traffic, will also be used by the proposed Dubai Metro Green Line extension that will connect Creek Station with Academic City.

A Sixth Crossing has been designed before. In 2006, the RTA appointed US-based Parsons to prepare designs for a Sixth Crossing that at the time would have linked the Lagoons (which is now Dubai Creek Harbour) and Dubai Health Care City phase II.

Dubai is also working on the Shindagha corridor scheme that will also include a new crossing across the Creek. Parsons was appointed as the engineering consultant for that scheme in 2015.

The RTA was also planning to move forward with the construction of the new Ittihad Bridge that will replace the existing Floating Bridge. After receiving expressions of interest (EoIs) from contractors in 2014 there has been little progress on the project.

For the Creek extension, which opened late last year, Dubai built new bridges taking Sheikh Zayed Road, Al-Wasl Road, and Jumeirah Beach Road across the new waterway.