Located 500 metres east of Maktoum bridge, the proposed bridge will stretch 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.

With a holding capacity of 3,000 vehicles an hour in each direction during morning and evening rush hours, the bridge aims to reduce the number of vehicles crossing Maktoum bridge by 37 per cent - 150,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day. The bridge will be built out of 20 metre-wide hollow concrete blocks. The rolling segment of the bridge will be able to open and close at intervals of 20 minutes to allow the movement of ships and other large vessels on the creek. Smaller ferries will be able to use permanently open passages at either side of the bridge. Tenders are expected to be issued in July ahead of construction starting in September. Completion is scheduled for March 2007.

The temporary structure will be replaced by a permanent bridge at the same location at a later date. Plans are also being considered for bridges crossing the creek between the Sheraton in Deira and Trade Centre Road in Bur Dubai, and the Lagoons development in the Ras al-Khor/Nad al-Hamar area and Dubai Healthcare City II in Al-Jadaf.

De Leuw Cather International (DCI), part of the US' Parsons International, is the consultant.

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