Dubai traffic: 2 accidents on Hessa Street; JLT moving smoothly

Even as community members at Jumeirah Lake Towers joked about erecting an open air cinema to kill time during today’s commute after yesterday’s harrowing two-hour gridlock, the rest of Dubai is facing its own onslaught on Tuesday morning.

Two accidents have been called in on Hessa Street this morning, with reports of tailbacks already forming.

There are also reports of heavy traffic around the Al Ain exit on the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, while Al Khail appears to narrate a similar story.

A Twitter user, Christopher Gacutan, also reported of traffic jam on the Dubai-Sharjah highway, with the Sharjah Ring Road showing signs of heavy congestion.

Meanwhile, slow moving traffic is reported at the Trade Centre roundabout and the tunnel leading to Sheikh Zayed Road.

And if you are planning to use Al Wasl Road as an alternative, brace yourself as the tailbacks from the Al Safa Park junction have stretched all the way towards the Emirates NBD junction over 1km away.

Many commuters have taken to social media this morning to report in on the traffic updates, with Rashmi Pradeep writing: “What’s up with the traffic in Dubai, it just keeps getting crazier.”

Junior Radwan wrote: “You can’t imagine the traffic right now.”

JLT latest update

Even as the rest of Dubai is facing gridlock conditions this morning, it is smooth flowing traffic in JLT.

Executive Chairman of master developer Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority (DMCC), Ahmed bin Sulayem, updated the traffic situation at 8.15am, stating: “Road 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 – traffic situation is normal and moving smoothly.”

For weary JLT commuters, it has become a case of once bitten, twice shy.

Several residents have reported starting out their morning drive earlier today, while residents such as Kelita-Ria reworked their morning schedule to prepare for the worst.

She tweeted: “Got everything crossable crossed for today’s JLT traffic. Cannot sit in another two hours of carnage with two morning meetings on the cards.”

Yesterday’s JLT traffic jam has been the worst yet the community has faced, with residents complaining they were unable to exit their buildings for 45-minute stretches due to traffic, with on-going roadworks adding to the chaos.

So bad was the JLT traffic situation that it took the hashtag to the top of the UAE Twitter trends, as frustrated commuters complained of being trapped in gridlock for nearly two hours, with a car breaking down in the midst.

Talking about their harrowing experience, commuter Sultan wrote in saying: “After trying to enter from Marina side, then from Emirates Hills side, I escaped to the main JLT entrance, to be welcomed by a bigger congestion. I had to park my car on the side and just walk to the office. I was 2.5 hours late.”

Ranga said: “Alerted by early morning reports, I delayed my entry in to JLT to 10.30 hrs (office begins at 9am) but to no avail. Tailback till Emirates Hills bridge with no movement, a total jam.

“So when is a good time to go to office? Chose to turn around and head back to work from home. Will this repeat itself tomorrow? And the day after? And...”

That’s the question probably on the minds of every JLT resident today.

Earlier this month, the JLT roadworks plan was unveiled, with the exit to the road parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road from Almas Tower Road closing.

DMCC also announced 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.

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.

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