Some other weeks left to bring the three-year-roadwork in Jumeirah Lake Towers to a conclusion and relieve thousands of motorists and residents who were thinking to move to other places in the city from great traffic congestion.
Commenting on this crisis, Ahmed bin Sulayem, the executive chairman of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority (DMCC), called for the people to be more patient as the workers are putting the last touches on the project.
Bin Sulayem said: “The traffic we have right now represents 75,000 people working and living in JLT. And we are lucky that, at this stage, it is going to take six to eight weeks – likely eight weeks – for the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to completely finish the roads.”
The constant AED 450 million road developments cover seven main bridges that will provide free-flowing access to and from JLT and the construction of a road linking Sheikh Zayed Road with Al Khail and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed roads.
“Just like any developed community, and this is partially residential but mostly a business community, you time things,” he added.
“There are morning rush hours and evening rush hours, that’s in every successful city around the world.
“I expect RTA to be coming up with more creative ways of mitigating the traffic. But I think it has more to do with awareness of where the roads are, which is why we are sending out press releases about the road works and then sending out reminders – because what people dislike more than the traffic itself is being shocked by it and not being notified.”
“Given my background and experience living in the US, realizing communities when they get mature, the traffic increases and then they switch the roads into one way.
“That’s a variation within four or five years; it’s a cost and a disruption. I wanted to be ahead of that curve, which is why the roads are all one way in JLT. I was not going to deal with two-way and signal lights. The roads should be smooth and one way.”
Bin Sulayem added that the RTA could have changed the one-way system if it wanted “but they didn’t change anything because, as it turns out, one-way is very good given the traffic”.
“What they are working on is exits and entrances; they do not want a scenario where the traffic is like the Trade Centre area. They want to avoid these challenges while the community is still new and it has always been said that this area has great infrastructure.”
“It takes me an hour to get out of JLT, another hour on Sheikh Zayed Road and then an hour on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.”
“The huge and fast growth that JLT has had with it now representing over 7,300 companies, something has got to give, you have to see a sign that reflects that and traffic is one of those signs,” he said.
“The buildings are getting full. It is a sign of success and RTA needs to work with the community.”
“I respond to every tweet from people within the community. We listen to what makes sense, at the end of the day. JLT is a unique community that way,” he said.
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