Bridge likely to service Sharjah commuters

DUBAI // A multimillion-dirham bridge connecting a key Metro station to the road network will open in time for the launch of the Red Line this week. The Dh699 million (US$190m) bridge will link the park-and-ride car park at Al Rashidiya station with the junction of Emirates Road and Khawaneej Road. It will open on September 9, the official launch date of the Dubai Metro, along with two other bridges on Khawaneej Road. Al Rashidiya station, one of 10 scheduled to open this week, sits at one end of the 52km Red Line. The station will house the train carriages and the control room, and is expected to be heavily used by commuters from Sharjah, due to its proximity to the emirate. The car park can hold 2,714 vehicles. "The ground floor of the parking building is designated for feeder buses, and the design of the building has been customised to accommodate articulated and double-deck buses," said Mattar al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the Roads and Transport Authority. Yesterday, six feeder bus routes began operating for Al Rashidiya station, carrying passengers from the Rashidiya, Nad al Hummer, West and East Mirdif, Mizhar and Al Warqa districts. The Nakheel Harbour and Tower station between Dubai Marina and Ibn Battuta Mall also has a car park with 3,000 spaces. eharnan@thenational.ae