Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has confirmed that the Al Khaleej Street Tunnel Project — a cornerstone element of the Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement programme — has passed the 80% construction completion milestone. The 1,650-metre tunnel, featuring three lanes of traffic in each direction, is on track for completion in Q4 2026. When operational, it will cut journey times along the Al Khaleej corridor from a current average of 104 minutes during peak hours to just 16 minutes — a transformation that will affect an estimated one million people.
Project Scale and Engineering
The Al Khaleej Street Tunnel extends from the end of the Infinity Bridge ramp in Deira to the intersection of Al Khaleej Street and Al Wuheida Street. At 1,650 metres, it is designed to process approximately 12,000 vehicles per hour — among the highest capacity road infrastructure projects completed in Dubai in the past decade.
Current works underway include:
- Tunnel wall cladding alongside road paving and widening operations
- Installation of integrated lighting and traffic signal systems
- Rainwater drainage and irrigation network installation
- Excavation support works, with 14 teams operating around the clock in three shifts
RTA confirmed the project has accumulated nearly eight million work hours since construction began, with 1,591 engineers, technicians and workers deployed on site at peak activity, supported by 221 pieces of heavy machinery.
The Al Shindagha Corridor: Dubai’s Biggest Road Project
The tunnel is one element of the broader Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project — Dubai’s largest active road infrastructure programme. The corridor connects the historic Shindagha area and the Dubai Creek crossing with major arterial roads serving Deira, Port Saeed and Al Ras. It has historically been among the most chronically congested routes in the emirate, particularly at the Infinity Bridge junction where traffic from multiple directions converges.
The project includes not just the tunnel but parallel widening of Al Khaleej Street, upgraded interchanges, pedestrian crossings and cycling infrastructure — reflecting RTA’s commitment to the multi-modal mobility agenda embedded in Dubai’s Urban Master Plan 2040.
Impact on Dubai’s Eastern Districts
The communities most directly affected by the tunnel’s completion are among Dubai’s most densely populated: Deira, Al Ras, Port Saeed, Al Rigga and the surrounding areas of older Dubai. These districts have historically suffered disproportionately from traffic congestion, partly because the road infrastructure was built in a different era and has struggled to scale to current vehicle volumes.
For residents and businesses in Deira — Dubai’s original commercial heart, now experiencing a significant renewal drive with the Deira Enrichment Project and Gold Souq expansion — improved road connectivity will be a meaningful quality-of-life and commercial upgrade. For real estate investors, infrastructure improvements of this scale historically translate to value increases of 8–15% in the directly served areas within 12–24 months of completion.
The Broader Dubai Infrastructure Story
The Al Khaleej Street Tunnel’s progress is one data point in a much larger picture of infrastructure investment that continues to distinguish Dubai from global competitors. Despite the Q1 2026 regional projects slowdown, Dubai’s own capital programme has largely continued on schedule — the result of long-term project financing commitments that are insulated from short-term economic volatility.
Other major RTA projects at advanced stages of delivery include the Route 2020 Metro extension, the new Dubai Metro Blue Line (connecting International City to Expo City), and multiple bridge and interchange upgrades across Sheikh Zayed Road. Taken together, these projects represent the continued delivery of infrastructure that supports Dubai’s ambition to be a top-five global city by 2030.
Also Read: Dubai Tourism Boom 2026: Safe, Open, and Ready for Visitors | Dubai Real Estate 2026: Record Transactions Signal New Peak
