Authority is about to undertake further road works in the area with a view to providing two additional entries and two exits.
As motorists’ frustration of being stuck in hours’ long traffic jams in Discovery Garden community at Jebel Ali reaches its peak, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) says it has held an urgent meeting with the developer Nakheel and will study temporary solutions “within a matter of days”.
In a statement to Khaleej Times on Sunday, the RTA said that it is “about to undertake further road works in the area with a view to providing two additional entries and two exits for Discovery Gardens and Ibn Battuta Mall at Interchange 5.5 on Shaikh Zayed Road and Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.”
“Works on these solutions are expected to be completed by the end of this year. These works are undertaken as part of the next five year plan that completes parallel roads in that area.”
Hussain Al Banna, Director of Traffic, RTA Traffic and Roads Agency, said: “The RTA had an urgent meeting with Nakheel to work out solutions and alternatives, including streamlining functionality of light signals in the area concerned in a bid to ensure a smooth traffic flow.”
On Thursday last week, heavy rain had caused a huge gridlock that lasted for hours. A resident of Discovery Gardens said the traffic jams are routine and very frustrating. “On a normal working day, it takes over 45 minutes to reach the only exit that both the communities have access to,” said the resident. “There are two schools in the area and despite the fact that traffic policemen are present everyday, we are stuck in a jam for hours.”
Al Banna said the RTA is undertaking a study. “Within a matter of days, the RTA will embark on studying the provision of temporary entries and exits for the Discovery Gardens through the Shaikh Zayed Road and the Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road out of its keenness to overcome any difficulties impacting the traffic flow.”
