The bridge, opened by the Roads and Transport Authority on July 26, can accommodate 3,600 vehicles an hour. Motorists travelling towards Al Asayel Street will reach the route through Al Wasl Club Street, creating a more direct connection between major roads serving central Dubai.
Construction of the Oud Metha and Al Asayel Streets Development Project is now 90 per cent complete. Two tunnels and another bridge are scheduled to open by the end of August, bringing the scheme closer to full operation.
One tunnel will connect the Oud Metha Street service road with the Sheikh Rashid Road intersection for vehicles heading towards Bur Dubai. The second will provide a dedicated route from Dubai–Al Ain Road towards Al Wasl Club Street, reducing traffic conflicts at an intersection where several movements currently overlap.
A two-lane bridge will also open for drivers turning left from Al Asayel Street towards Oud Metha Street. That structure will have capacity for 2,400 vehicles an hour and will separate turning traffic from vehicles continuing through the junction.
The wider project covers four major intersections, 14 kilometres of roads and a combined 4,300 metres of bridges and tunnels. It forms part of the Sheikh Rashid Corridor Development Project, which is intended to strengthen connections between key residential, commercial and institutional areas.
Oud Metha Street’s capacity is expected to rise by 50 per cent when the works are completed. The road will be able to handle 15,600 vehicles an hour in both directions, compared with 10,400 before the improvements.
Journey times along the corridor are projected to fall from 20 minutes to five minutes, a 75 per cent reduction. The improvements will serve Zabeel, Al Jaddaf, Oud Metha and Umm Hurair, along with destinations including Latifa Hospital and Al Wasl Club.
More than 420,000 people are expected to live in the areas served by the project by 2030, increasing pressure on existing roads and junctions. The upgrades are aimed at supporting that population growth while providing additional capacity for new residential and development projects.
Two bridges were opened during the first quarter of 2026. A two-lane bridge at the intersection of Oud Metha Street, Al Asayel Street and Al Wasl Club Street carries traffic from Al Asayel Street towards Al Wasl Club Street and can accommodate 2,400 vehicles an hour.
Another two-lane bridge at the intersection of Al Wasl Club Street and Al Khail Road carries vehicles from Al Asayel Street towards Al Khail Road in the direction of Business Bay Crossing. Its hourly capacity is 3,000 vehicles.
Additional work at the Oud Metha Street and Sheikh Rashid Road intersection includes another lane on the left-turn ramp towards Al Garhoud Bridge. The improvement will raise capacity on that movement to 1,800 vehicles an hour.
The Sheikh Rashid Road service road between the existing bridge and the Al Zahrawi Street exit is also being upgraded to reduce traffic weaving and improve safety. Right-turn lanes from Sheikh Rashid Road towards Oud Metha Street and Dubai–Al Ain Road will increase from two to three, lifting capacity to 4,000 vehicles an hour.
At the intersection of Zabeel Palace Street, Al Khail Road and Oud Metha Street, an extra lane is being added for traffic turning from Al Khail Road towards Dubai–Al Ain Road. Capacity there will double from 900 to 1,800 vehicles an hour.
