DUBAI, 11 April 2007 — The busiest airport tunnel was closed here yesterday for maintenance works.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official said that the tunnel has been closed for maintenance works in both directions from Al Rashedyah to Al Qusais and vice versa.
The closure will last until Sept 30, 2007. The tunnel would be opened on Fridays, Saturdays and during public and official holidays.
Maitha Mohammad Bin Adai, chief executive officer of RTA, said the closure was necessary for a comprehensive maintenance of the tunnel, and to make it more convenient for road users. With this in mind, it has been decided that work will be conducted during night time only from 12:30 a.m. until 05:30 a.m., she added.
She called on regular users of the tunnel to use alternative roads that have been allocated by the RTA to alleviate traffic congestion caused by the closure and urged them to cooperate with the authorities for the duration of the closure.
She also asked the drivers to use prudence and caution while using the tunnel, asserting the need for closure as maintenance of the tunnel was necessary as it comes within the efforts of the RTA to improve the efficiency of Dubai roads and infrastructure projects to facilitate traffic movement.
She added that despite the impact on traffic and the resultant delay due to the closure the move was in line with RTA’s vision of “safe and smooth transport for all.”
