Upgrades to Hessa Street project in Dubai cut traffic time from 15 to four minutes

An upgraded traffic system in one of Dubai's congestion hotspots was opened on Sunday morning.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) confirmed the latest phase of the project at Hessa Street was fully operational in a post on X.

Hessa Street's traffic capacity is now doubled to 16,000 vehicles an hour with traffic time cut from 15 minutes to four, according to the RTA.

The road corridor serves residential and commercial areas with a population of more than 640,000. Areas served by the project include Jumeirah Village Circle, Arjan, Dubai Science Park, Al Barsha South, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Jumeirah Islands, Barsha Heights, The Greens, and Emirates Hills.

Hessa Street is one of Dubai’s most important road corridors, said Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the RTA.

The work was necessary to enhance traffic flow, keep pace with Dubai’s sustained growth and meet the demands of urban expansion and population growth, he added.

“Hessa Street Development Project extends from its intersection with Sheikh Zayed Road to its intersection with Al Khail Road over a stretch of 4.5km,” he said.

“The project includes upgrading four key intersections along Hessa Street with Sheikh Zayed Road, First Al Khail Street, Al Asayel Street, and Al Khail Road, and expanding Hessa Street from two lanes to four lanes in each direction. This will increase the street’s capacity by 100 per cent, raising it to 16,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.”

The next phase of the work will involve connecting the Al Khail Road to the intersection with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road over a 3km stretch.

Traffic volumes on the roads covered by the next phase are estimated at around half a million trips a day, according to the RTA. Dubai's Urban Plan 2040, predicts population growth from 3.3 million to 5.8 million by 2040.