Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the completion of a 475-m-long bridge for pedestrians and cyclists crossing over Ras Al Khor Rd (Dubai-Hatta).
The bridge, which has a width of 5 metres (3m for bikers and 2m for pedestrians), is fitted with rails between the lanes and on both sides, said the statement from RTA.
The bridge links the International City and Al Warqaa and eases the mobility of pedestrians between the two sides of Ras Al Khor Rd. It also links the cycling tracks from Al Khawaneej, Mushrif and Al Warqaa with International City and Dragon Mart.
Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, the Director-General and Chairman of RTA Executive Directors board said with this completion, the number of footbridges in Dubai has risen from 13 bridges in 2006 to 129 bridges in 2020.
RTA, he stated, intends to construct 31 additional footbridges in the next five years, which will bring the total number of footbridges in Dubai to 160 bridges.
"RTA’s efforts to improve pedestrians safety contributed to reducing pedestrian fatalities in Dubai by as much as 81% between 2007 and 2020," he added.
On the new bridge, Al Tayer said: "It has a steel and concrete structure that required the transportation of 370 tonnes of structural steel to the site in four different pieces."
"A reinforced concrete layer was then placed on the upper deck of the bridge. The bridge spans 475 metres in length, which includes a steel structure part that extends 110 metres. The bridge is built on three concrete pillars and connects with ascending and descending slopes on both sides extending about 180 metres. The bridge extends five metres in width: three metres for cyclists and two meters for pedestrians. It is fitted with slip-resisting flooring and subdued decorative lighting. It has metal railings on both sides for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists," he explained.
According to him, RTA had previously completed cycling tracks in different parts of Dubai including Al Warqaa, Mushrif and Al Khawaneej.
It also constructed two bridges shared by cyclists and pedestrians on Al Khawaneej and Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Road,” he noted.
The total length of cycling tracks constructed in Dubai till the end of 2020 is 425 km. RTA plans to build more cycling tracks that will increase the length of cycling tracks to 668 km by 2025, he added.-TradeArabia News Service