Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has approved a plan to build 31 new pedestrian bridges and tunnels by 2030. The five-year plan covers crossings right across the city. The aim is to make crossing the road safer and keep traffic moving.

The plan was approved by Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at the RTA. The Dubai Media Office announced the decision. The new crossings will go up on some of the city's busiest roads. These include Sheikh Zayed Road, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, Al Ittihad Road and Omar bin Al Khattab Street. Sheikh Zayed Road is the city's main highway, and the other three rank among its busiest. Each carries heavy traffic and large numbers of people crossing on foot. The named roads are wide and fast. Crossing them on foot is risky without a bridge or tunnel.

How the sites were chosen

The RTA picked the locations after technical and field studies. The studies weighed how crowded each area is. They looked at how each site connects to nearby homes and offices. They also checked how close it sits to tourist and business spots. The last factor was how well the site links to public transport. The RTA said it will keep reviewing sites as the city grows.

The goal is straightforward: safer streets and smoother traffic. Bridges and tunnels lift people clear of moving cars. They remove the need to cross live lanes on foot. Safe crossings matter most for children, older residents and anyone with limited mobility.

A network that has grown fast

Dubai's network of footbridges and tunnels has grown quickly. It rose from 26 in 2006 to 178 by the end of 2025. That is an increase of 585 percent, the RTA said. The 178 crossings now open span highways, metro stations and busy shopping districts. The 31 new crossings will add to that network over the five years to 2030.

The authority links that build-out to a sharp drop in pedestrian deaths. The fatality rate fell from 9.5 per 100,000 people in 2007 to 0.22 in 2025. That is a decline of 98 percent. Residents seem to have noticed the change. The RTA put public satisfaction with pedestrian infrastructure at 88 percent.

More people are walking and cycling

The new crossings track how residents are choosing to move. Pedestrian trips rose from 307 million in 2023 to 326 million in 2025. Cycling trips climbed too. They went from 46.6 million in 2024 to 57.3 million in 2025. That is a 23 percent jump in a single year.

For people near the named roads, the payoff is practical. There will be fewer long detours to reach a safe crossing. There will be less time spent waiting at the roadside. Cyclists also gain safer ways to cross the main roads. The RTA frames the plan around sustainable mobility and quality of life. The idea is to make it easier to leave the car behind for short trips.

The authority said it will publish construction timelines and the location of each bridge and tunnel as the phases move ahead. Work will run in phases through to 2030.

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