Dubai community update: New JLT road closures this month

The final stage of the extensive road construction project in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) has entered the second month. Residents will experience new road closures, master developer Dubai Multi Commodity Center (DMCC)  announced.

Major changes will be seen around Almas Tower Road. The exit to the road parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road from Almas Tower Road will be closed, announced DMCC.

The exit between Clusters I and J will remain open for access to Almas Tower only. Motorists will be able to reach Clusters C and D using this exit. Motorists heading towards Clusters A-F are recommended to enter JLT via the south side of the community (Jebel Ali side).

Secondly, the first entrance into JLT via the Al Khail First Road (previously known as the Western Parallel Road) leading to the temporary roundabout by Cluster G will be closed.

Motorists approaching JLT from this road will be able to enter the community by Cluster I, where they can take a right onto Almast Tower Road or proceed to the south side of the community.

Although the exact date of the implantation of the road closures has not been announced, it is indicated that they will occur early-September. At the time of this writing the roads are still open for use.

The work currently undertaken in JLT is the last stage 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 such as Discovery Gardens, the Gardens and Jumeirah Islands.

The construction works commenced early last month, when residents were asked to bear with disruptions to the flow of traffic for the following six-eight weeks.

Al Khail First Road will be extended to Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Road, Discovery Gardens, Ibn Batuta Mall and will include a link to JAFZA in the future, clarified the CEO of RTA's Transport and Road Authority (TRA)  Maitha bin Ada in a statement to Emirates 24|7.

In addition, seven additional bridges are built and existing internal roads and exit roads from Sheikh Zayed Road are improved.

"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 beside providing a totally new link to Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Road to better distribute the traffic especially during peak hours."

Accessibility in and out the community has long been a frustration among residents, as main junctions are frequently clogged and service roads jammed, especially during peak hours.

Residents have welcomed the construction works, while at the same time addressing remaining points of frustration.…"those from clusters O to S have to drive all around JLT to exit to Sheikh Zayed Road, which is just 20 meters away to the left side. That drive alone is around 10 minutes if there is no traffic, during jam hours it could reach up to 25 minutes just to exit my building to SZR!!" commented an Emirates 24|7 reader who lives in Cluster O.

Another well-known saga of Jumeirah Lakes Towers is the single direction on all internal roads, which in some cases leads residents around the community before they reach their cluster.

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