Yes, you heard that right!

Earlier last month, the RTA announced the opening of a new Salik gate, which will be operational from 24th October onwards. This is being done as an effort to ease traffic on one of the busiest highways in Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, and urge more people to use Dubai’s public transport services (especially with the new metro line extension under work). The gate will be located between Ibn Battuta and Danube Metro Stations.

 

This will be the seventh Salik gate to open in Dubai. At the moment, these the are six Salik gates in operation:

On Sheikh Zayed Road:

  • Al Safa Toll Gate
  • Al Barsha Toll Gate
  • Al Garhoud Toll Gate
  • Al Mamzar Toll Gate
  • Airport Toll Gate
  • Maktoum Bridge Toll Gate

Don’t worry! We’ve got alternate routes for you: Besides Al Khail Road, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Shaikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Road and Emirates road, motorists driving from Abu Dhabi can avoid the new toll gate once the Seventh Interchange opens up on the 15th of September. The upgraded interchange will allow motorists heading from Abu Dhabi to take a free exit towards Yalayis Road heading to Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.

“The development of the seventh interchange and Al Yalayes, Al Asayel road will provide additional capacity to the parallel roads amounting to 12,000 vehicles per hour in both directions. It will also serve the urbanisation witnessed by Dubai. It will also increase the capacity of Al Yalayes Road to 20,000 vehicles per hour in both directions, and cut the journey time between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to about 4 minutes,” commented Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA.

This project will also allow for more entry/exit points to Discovery Garden, Al Furjan and Jebel Ali Development.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think the new Salik gate will help in reducing congestion on Sheikh Zayed Road? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!