Dubai plans $272m roads investment to 2016

Dubai plans to spend about AED1bn ($272m) over five years to improve roads, the emirate's transport authority said on Saturday. The initial phase of the plan, which runs through to 2016, covers five residential communities including Hatta and Al Qusais 3 in addition to Al Quoz 2, 3 and 4, said Mattar Al Tayer, chairman and executive director of the Roads and Transport Authority. The authority said it has awarded two contracts under the programme valued at AED38m to build roads in Al-Qusais 3 and Al-Quoz 4, he said in a statement. "The move comes in the context of RTA efforts to improve roads network to accommodate the growing needs of the demographic and urban expansion seen by the emirate," the RTA said in the statement. "The internal roads project at Al Qusais 3, which covers an area of 225 hectares, encompasses the construction of roads extending 6km along with street lighting works and the construction of parking slots for some mosques and public schools in the area," Al Tayer added. Construction work is set to start in June and will take about nine months to complete. Another 8km of roads will be built in Al Quoz 4 alongside lighting and parking works, with the project scheduled for completion in the first half of 2013. Earlier this month, the RTA awarded a contract for constructing internal roads at Al Warqaa 1, 2, 3 and 4 at a cost of about AED156.631m. Phase 2 of the five-year plan, which will start in 2013 at a cost of about AED140m, covers Muhaisna 2 and Al Barsha South 1 and 2 while phase 3, which starts in 2014 at a cost of AED130m, covers Al Mamzar, Al Nahdah 1 and Oud Mateena 2. The fourth phase, which starts in 2015 and costs about AED140m, covers the construction of roads in Nad El Sheba 4, Oud Mateena 1, and Khawaneej 2. The final phase, which starts in 2016 at a cost of AED250m, covers road works in Jebel Ali Industrial Area 1, Al Qusais Industrial Areas 3, 4 & 5 and Al Awir 1.