RTA Dubai, i.e., the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai, in collaboration with the real estate company Majid Al Futtaim Properties, has opened a new 300-metre bridge at Sheikh Zayed Road, providing Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali motorists with direct access to Mall of the Emirates.
The one-lane bridge, with a capacity of 900 vehicles per hour, will reduce the number of minutes it takes to get to the mall to only a single minute. The project also transformed the one-way road adjacent to the Kempinski Hotel into a two-way road and included improvements on entrances, surrounding roads, intersections, pedestrian paths, and cycling paths surrounding the mall.
Mattar Al Tayer, the Director General and the Board of Executive Directors Chairman, RTA, stated that the project is meant to ensure that the traffic flow is boosted and the movement of the residents and the relevant visitors in and out of the different areas is improved.
The works also involved the construction of the new bridge, the upgrade of the southbound ramp at the junction of Umm Suqeim, and the upgrade of the junction to facilitate ease of access by vehicles coming into the mall via Umm Suqeim Street to the car parks.
RTA also redeveloped the at-grade roads along 2.5 km of the mall, created six signalized intersections, and altered the bus station at the Mall of the Emirates Metro Station. Improvements in the project included the enhancement of pedestrian and bicycle paths, better pavement on roads, increased lighting, traffic light signals, stormwater drainage, and plant landscapes. The new bridge, according to Al Tayer, will improve the efficiency of the traffic and the safety of the roads around the mall.
The Mall of the Emirates, which started its operation in 2005, receives over 40 million visitors per year. In a bid to commemorate its 20th anniversary, the operator, Majid Al Futtaim, has declared redevelopment of the mall worth Dh5 billion. The growth will incorporate 20,000 square metres of retail area to accommodate up to 100 new luxury, fashion, and lifestyle stores. It will also include a new health club, cultural centre, special dining district, and a massive upgrade of infrastructure.
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The Mall of the Emirates is also home to three five-star hotels: Kempinski Hotel, Novotel Suites Mall of the Emirates Dubai, and Sheraton Mall of the Emirates Hotel; it is also directly linked to the Mall of the Emirates Metro Station via a pedestrian bridge.