The Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), chaired by Mattar Al Tayer, has endorsed the construction of 10 pedestrian bridges in 2016 and 2017 situated in a number of vital locations in Dubai.

The step will bring the total number of pedestrian bridges in Dubai to 120 bridges by 2017.

Al Tayer said, "Since inception, the RTA has attached considerable attention to the provision of safe pedestrian crossings, and set a number of perimeters upon which the locations of pedestrian bridges are selected; such as spots witnessing high proportion of run-over accidents (Black Points), intensity of traffic movement, movement of people between the two sides of the road, the distance to the nearest pedestrian crossing, location of bus stops, availability of malls as well as public and private organisations, and the observations raised by the General HQ of the Dubai Police, and the public."

He added that the new bridges will be constructed in a number of vital locations based on the findings of traffic studies. Two bridges will be constructed on Baniyas Road; the first near the Department of Land & Properties, and the second near the Dubai Municipality.

One bridge will be constructed on Khaled bin Al Waleed Road nearby Al Riffaa-Al Saadiyaat Road, in addition to a bridge nearby Al Tawar Center, bridge on Al Ittihad Road nearby Dnata, a bridge on the Arabian Ranches Road (Road 323), a bridge on Al Mankhool Road, a bridge on Latifa bint Hamdan Road nearby Al Khail Mall Road, a bridge near Bal Remaitha Club, and a bridge on the Dubai – Al Ain Road nearby Skycourts Buildings.

The RTA is currently constructing seven pedestrian bridges as follows: two at Baghdad Road, and one bridge at each of: Al Maktoum Road, Al Mina Road, Amman Road, Baniyas Road, and Al Rasheed Road.

The completion rate has reached more than 30 per cent in these bridges, and the project is expected to be completed during the first quarter of next year.

"Over the past two years the RTA constructed 22 footbridges in a number of vital locations including two bridges at Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (one near the Fruits & Vegetables Market, and the other near workers complex at Al Qusais), three bridges at Umm Suqeim, two bridges at each of Al Asayel Road and the First Al Khail Road, and one bridge at each of Sheikh Rashid Road, Al Saada Road, Al Mina Road, Al Wuhaida Road, Amman Road, Al Rasheed Road, Al Mankhool Road, Latifa bint Hamdan Road, Abu Baker Al Siddique Road, Al Khaleej Road, Al Ribat Road, and the JLT," explained Al Tayer.

The number of pedestrian bridges in Dubai has soared from 14 bridges in 2006, and continued to grow to 56 in 2010, jumped to 74 in 2011 and continued the upswing to reach 100 bridges by the end of 2014, and the number is set to rise further to 120 by 2017.

"These bridges contributed to recording the lowest rate of pedestrian fatalities on Dubai roads over 20 years. "Statistics indicate pedestrian fatalities dropped from 9.5 fatalities per 100 thousand of population in 2007 to 7 fatalities per 100 thousand of population in 2008, and continued the downturn to reach 2.3 fatalities per 100 thousand of population in 2010, and dipped further in 2014 to its lowest rate of one fatality per 100 thousand of population," added Al Tayer