(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Work on 13 pedestrian bridges in Dubai is expected to be completed by June, taking the total number of footbridges in Dubai to 87. These include 34 pedestrian bridges of the Metro stations (23 on the Red Line and 11 on the Green Line).
"Work on the new pedestrian bridges project was started in June 2012 and bridges are designed at the highest international standards to ensure the safety of road users,'' said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and Transports Authority (RTA).
"The RTA opened two pedestrian bridges last year - one on Abu Baker Al Siddique Road and the other at the Emirates Hills. In the past few years the RTA opened a number of footbridges on various roads such as Khalid bin Al Waleed Road, Al Mankhool Road, Bani Yas Road, Zaabeel Road, Damascus Road, Al Rasheed Road and Al Rebat Road, in addition to Abu Baker Al Siddique Road.
"Bridges currently under construction span a variety of vital locations across the emirate that have been selected in the light of traffic studies guided by the intensity of people's movement between the two sides of roads, office and shop concentration areas and locations witnessing high run-over accident rates. Among the key bridges to be constructed are two across the Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road; the first one near the Fruits and Vegetables Market at Al Awir, spanning 100 metres, and the other one is near workers' accommodation at Muhaisnah, stretching 86 metres. Other bridges are at Al Mina Road, Shaikh Rashid Road, Umm Suqeim Road, Al Wuhaida Road, Amman Road, Latifa bint Hamdan Road, Abu Baker Al Siddique Road and Al Khaleej Road in addition to four bridges in Jebel Ali Industrial Area.
"Pedestrian bridges, particularly the ones designed in recent years, have several aesthetic features and are fitted with modern electrical fixtures, and some of them are inspired by the designs of traditions and heritage icons of the UAE while others replicate the modern and stylish model of the city," added Al Tayer.
"The RTA, represented by the Traffic and Roads Agency, is making every effort to minimise pedestrian accidents; which are not restricted to technical measures but include multi-faceted key aspects such as engineering safety measures and traffic awareness campaigns for various community members, particularly students. The RTA is continuously working on awareness campaigns to diffuse the importance of using safe transit means such as pedestrian crossings, bridges and subways in order to avoid run-over accidents," Al Tayer said.
