A new two-lane bridge will open on Friday, 14 August, carrying traffic from Dubai World Trade Centre and One Central towards the junction of Al Mustaqbal Street and Za’abeel Palace Street.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority says the 500-metre bridge will cut the trip from Dubai World Trade Centre from about 10 minutes to two minutes during major events. The practical benefit is a quicker exit from one of the city’s busiest exhibition and business districts.
The opening was announced on Thursday by the Government of Dubai Media Office on behalf of RTA. The bridge is part of the wider Al Mustaqbal Street Development Project, rather than a standalone road change.
What opens on Friday
The bridge has two lanes and serves motorists leaving Dubai World Trade Centre and One Central towards Al Mustaqbal Street at Za’abeel Palace Street. RTA’s announced two-minute journey applies to that movement during major events; it is not a promise that every trip through the wider Trade Centre area will take two minutes.
The route is particularly relevant when exhibitions and conferences create heavier traffic around Dubai World Trade Centre. The surrounding district also connects with DIFC, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay and Za’abeel.
RTA said the wider scheme is expected to benefit about half a million residents and visitors. Drivers should continue following road signs and live navigation on the day, because traffic conditions can still vary around large events.
How the bridge fits the Al Mustaqbal Street project
The Al Mustaqbal Street Development Project is valued at AED 633 million. It includes 2,000 metres of bridges and tunnels and will widen Al Mustaqbal Street from three to four lanes in each direction between Financial Centre Street and Za’abeel Palace Street.
Once the wider work is complete, RTA expects street capacity to rise by 33%, from 6,600 to 8,800 vehicles per hour in both directions. The authority also expects the broader corridor journey time to fall from 13 minutes to six minutes.
The bridge opening is one stage in a longer sequence. RTA said another bridge in the World Trade Centre Roundabout project is due to open by the end of August, followed by the final bridge in October. Three tunnels at Al Mustaqbal Street and Trade Centre Street are scheduled for February 2027.
This is not the 500-metre bridge opened in May
Dubai has two recent 500-metre bridge announcements in the same wider district. The bridge RTA opened on 9 May is a single-lane route from Al Bada’ towards 2nd December Street, Sheikh Rashid Road and Al Mustaqbal Street.
Friday’s opening is a separate two-lane bridge serving traffic from Dubai World Trade Centre and One Central. Keeping the two projects distinct matters because their approaches, lane counts and advertised journey-time savings are different.
What changes next around Dubai World Trade Centre
Work on the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project is more than 85% complete, according to RTA. The parallel Al Mustaqbal Street project is more than 50% complete and also includes a pedestrian bridge on Al Sukook Street, upgraded junctions, a cycling track and improved pedestrian routes.
The final road layout is intended to create freer-flowing links between Al Mustaqbal Street, Exhibition Street and Trade Centre Street. Until the remaining bridges and tunnels open, motorists may continue to encounter changing traffic arrangements around active work areas.
For the longer view, Dubai.News has also explained where RTA’s 2030 walking and cycling plan will change neighbourhood connections. That programme is separate from Friday’s bridge, but both form part of the city’s wider effort to move more people through growing districts.
The useful takeaway for drivers
From Friday, motorists leaving Dubai World Trade Centre or One Central towards Al Mustaqbal Street should have a more direct two-lane route. The biggest advertised saving is during major events, when the same movement is expected to fall from 10 minutes to about two.
The rest of the area remains a work in progress. The next bridge is expected before the end of August, the final World Trade Centre Roundabout bridge in October, and the Al Mustaqbal Street tunnels in February 2027. Dubai.News will update this guide if RTA changes those dates or publishes new traffic instructions.
For readers planning a visit, the announced time saving applies to the outbound movement from the exhibition district toward Al Mustaqbal Street. It does not replace event-day traffic advice or guarantee the same journey time on every surrounding road. Checking RTA updates before a major exhibition remains sensible, especially while later phases of the roundabout and street projects are still under construction.
The project also matters beyond one junction. Faster exits can reduce queues that spill back toward hotel, office and exhibition entrances, while the extra lane capacity is intended to give the district more room as visitor numbers grow. The real test will come during a busy event after the bridge opens: whether drivers reach the new approach clearly, and whether the advertised improvement holds when demand is highest.
Official announcement: https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2026/august/13-08/rta-to-open-500-metre-bridge-on-friday
Earlier RTA bridge announcement for comparison: https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/news-and-media/all-news/NewsDetails/500-metre-bridge-serving-traffic-from-al-bada-towards-sheikh-rashid-and-al-mustaqbal-streets
Related Dubai.News guide: https://dubai.news/transport/dubai-rta-soft-mobility-plan-2030/
