RTA finishes Sheikh Zayed Road widening near Burj Khalifa, capacity up 17%

RTA said the upgrade takes that section from six lanes to seven, lifting capacity by 17% and cutting journey times by up to 10% during peak hours. The authority called it part of its ongoing effort to expand road infrastructure and keep pace with rising traffic volumes across the emirate.

The road widening follows a similar project RTA completed in September 2025, when a 700-metre stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road near the Umm Al Sheif exit also went from six lanes to seven. That upgrade lifted capacity there by 16%, to about 14,000 vehicles an hour, and removed an overlap point at the Umm Al Sheif junction that had backed up evening traffic. RTA said at the time the change would cut travel time and improve safety by lowering traffic density on the corridor.

Both projects target the same recurring problem: a road built for a smaller Dubai now carrying more cars every year. RTA has said the number of vehicles on Dubai's roads is growing by about 10% a year, as the emirate's daytime population pushes towards 6 million people. Widening jobs like this one are how the authority tries to keep ahead of that curve rather than fall behind it.

The road isn't the only thing growing at that interchange. RTA and mall operator Emaar agreed in January to expand the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Metro Station itself, lifting its passenger capacity by 65% to handle the crowds the extra road lane will eventually funnel toward it.

Sheikh Zayed Road remains Dubai's main north-south corridor, linking Downtown Dubai, DIFC and the Marina with the rest of the emirate and with Abu Dhabi. A widened section near one of its busiest interchanges should register fastest with commuters who drive that stretch during the evening rush.

RTA has not said which section of the road is next in line for widening.