Three traffic junctions to reopen in JLT Dubai

Residents and visitors of Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) are likely to see positive changes to the traffic flow in the community, as three entry points into the community will be re-opened soon.

At three points in the circular road that serves traffic inbound and outbound the community, construction work is at completion stage and the road is expected to open for traffic in the weeks to come.

In a circular to JLT residents, the Dubai Multi Commodity Center (DMCC) has revealed a map with the three entry points that will be re-opened (see image). 

Photo by Majorie van Leijen

All located at the backside of the community, the entry points are the following; the first entrance into JLT via Al Khail First Road (previously known as the Western Parallel Road), the entry road from Ibn Battuta Mall and the entry point at the south side of the community, also called the Jebel Ali exit.

The temporary roundabout, traffic diversions and road closures will all disappear once the roadwork is wrapped up, said a source familiar with the project.

The community, which is home to over 60,000 residents and 120,000 working population, has seen a series of road construction projects carried out over the last five months.

Early August, the DMCC announced the last stage of the road works as part of a Dh450 million project carried out by the Road and Transport Authority (RTA), aimed at providing improved accessibility to the JLT community and surrounding communities.

Back then, it asked residents to bear with disruptions to the flow of traffic for the following six-eight weeks. 

The traffic situation since then frequently made the news, as traffic diversions at choke points resulted in massive traffic jams, delaying frustrated commuters in the morning and evening peak hours.

The opening of a new bridge running parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road elevating traffic from the southern clusters to the northern clusters captured the hope of an end in sight of the construction works, but road works continued at the backside of the community, weighing heavily on the commuters bound to reach their cluster using this road.

The improved entry points are expected to considerably improve the traffic flow in and out the community. In a statement to Emirates 24|7 earlier this year, Maitha bin Ada, CEO of RTA's Transport and Road Authority (TRA), explained that Al Khail First Road would be extended to Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Road, Discovery Gardens, Ibn Battuta Mall and would include a link to Jafza in the future.

“We anticipate travel time for getting in and out of the existing developments to significantly reduce due to replacing the at-grade junctions, which have limited capacity, into free-flow junctions besides providing a totally new link to Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Road to better distribute the traffic, especially during peak hours,” she said.

Although road development work in and around the community does not end here, the internal road improvements have been completed and the community may not experience any more road diversions or closures for now, said the source.

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