Dubai's Hessa Street upgrade: When will motorists see traffic relief?

Dubai's Hessa Street is set for a major upgrade in its second phase, which could drastically reduce travel times for motorists on one of the city's busiest east-west routes. Once the project is completed, journey times could drop from a current 24 minutes to just five minutes. Phase 1 of the development was completed in April 2026, with 10.33% of Phase 2 already finished as of October 2026, according to Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

The project aims to double road capacity from 4,000 to 8,000 vehicles per hour, construct 8,835 meters of bridges, and build an 408-meter underpass to reduce traffic bottlenecks. A 9.1-kilometer dedicated cycling track will also be developed. The road will see five major intersections upgraded, and existing utility services will be relocated and diverted.

The second phase is expected to improve access to over 10 residential and commercial communities between Al Khail Road and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. Instead of waiting for the entire project to be finished, the RTA plans to introduce completed sections of the road through a staged opening strategy, allowing motorists to benefit from traffic improvements as they become available.