DUBAI: A construction crane collapsed onto Dubai’s main multilane highway early yesterday morning.
The crane fell on a signboard causing hours of traffic chaos as officials tried to remove the debris. Nobody was injured in the incident, which occurred at around 4 a.m. It took seven hours for the road to be cleared and traffic to become normal.
The mast of the crane, which was working on the Dubai Metro track near Emirates Towers, caused damage to the signboard. The crane belonged to the Dubai Metro contractor, said Abdul Majeed Al-Khaja, CEO of Roads and Transport Authority’s Rail Agency. Because of the immense size of the crane, the RTA used special electrical devices to cut the mast of the crane into pieces so that it could be lifted and the way could be cleared, he explained.
He said the RTA in conjunction with the Dubai Police closed the section between the first interchange (previously known as Defense Roundabout) and Trade Center Roundabout on Sheikh Zayed Road, thus preventing the movement of traffic from Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali as a precaution to ensure the safety of road users. Soon after the incident, an RTA emergency team reached the site, and with the support of the Dubai Police patrols, traffic was diverted to Al-Khail and Al-Wasl Roads, said Al-Khaja. The Variable Message Signs erected at various roads were utilized to flash messages directing motorists to alternative roads.
However, motorists complained they got stuck in traffic for hours. A woman, Nadia Ahmad, said that she was stuck for hours trying to get to her office which is on the opposite side of the accident site. “The traffic was at a standstill. This was because motorists were slowing to look at the accident site.” Al-Khaja pointed out that RTA had commenced investigations to find out the cause of the accident although it primarily focused on taking away the crane and clearing the site, thus enabling traffic to move normally.
The collapse is the latest in a series of such accidents around the world in recent months, including two in New York City this year that killed nine people.
The Dubai Metro is one of the most ambitious building projects in a city known for the world’s tallest building and a growing archipelago of man-made islands.
