Terminal 1 of Dubai International Airport is about to get an upgrade. The bridge leading to the terminal will soon be widened and updated, as per a contract awarded by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in collaboration with Dubai Airports.
This project aims to reduce traffic in the approach to the terminal, making it faster and more efficient for passengers to reach the airport for their flights. This comes as passenger numbers continue to grow at Dubai International Airport — even exceeding 92 million in 2024.
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Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, explained the details of the project.
“The project involves widening the existing bridge from three to four lanes by constructing a new bridge using an innovative system of steel box girders integrated with a composite concrete slab,” he said.
He added that this solution was selected because it is highly efficient. Not only does it allow the the new lane to be added within a short timeframe, it also ensures that current traffic flow is uninterrupted. It does not require temporary supports beneath the bridge either, and it built according to the “highest safety standards.”
“The total length of the bridge, including its ramps, is 171 metres, with the main span extending nearly 70 metres,” he said.
“The expansion will increase the bridge’s capacity from 4,200 to 5,600 vehicles per hour, a 33 per cent increase,” he added.
Al Tayer reaffirmed RTA’s commitment to developing Dubai’s road and transport infrastructure. He said, “The expansion will boost street capacity, improve safety, and shorten journey times during peak hours.”
In recent years, RTA has implemented a project to upgrade Airport Street, covering the stretch from its intersection with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to its intersection with Casablanca Street. The project included the construction of bridges and tunnels at Al Rashidiya, as well as at the intersections with Casablanca Street, Marrakech Street, and Nad Al Hamar Street, in addition to improvements to surface-level junctions.
The project, which directly serves Dubai International Airport, also included the construction of three single-lane bridges: one providing direct access to Terminal 3 without stopping at a signal, another leading to the Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) complex, and the third going from Airport Street towards Casablanca Street without a traffic signal.
It also provided an alternative route for vehicles to travel from Al Garhoud to Terminals 1 and 3 directly, and expanded Casablanca Street from three to four lanes in the direction of Al Garhoud Bridge.
