Regular maintenance keeps Dubai’s Al Maktoum Bridge afloat
Bridge connects Deira and Bur Dubai
To uphold the safety and efficiency of vehicular traffic, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) implements an extensive maintenance programme for the movable Al Maktoum Bridge in Dubai City.
The 62-year-old bridge serves as a critical transportation link between the Deira and Bur Dubai locations and undergoes meticulous annual maintenance to ensure safe and smooth road traffic across Dubai Creek. The bridge is fitted with a hydraulic system that enables the bridge to be opened and closed to permit the passage of maritime traffic under the opened bridge.
Inaugurated in 1962, the bridge handles up to 22,000 vehicles per hour between Deira and Bur Dubai and is one of the five oldest crossings over Dubai Creek.
Al Maktoum Bridge, alongside Garhoud Bridge, stands as one of the two operational vehicular traffic bridges spanning Dubai Creek, with a third bridge, the Floating Bridge, currently closed.
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The maintenance plan for Al Maktoum Bridge is divided into five-phased approaches, including daily preventive and routine maintenance, weekly, monthly, and quarterly checks, and an annual major overhaul.
Nighttime closures
Most of the bridge’s maintenance activities are scheduled during bridge closures, twice a week after midnight, minimising disruptions to road traffic flow and prioritising public safety.
Abdulla Al Ali, CEO of Dubai RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, emphasised the importance of employing innovative maintenance techniques to extend the lifespan of Al Maktoum Bridge and enhance traffic efficiency.
Al Ali highlighted the significant efforts made by Dubai’s RTA in maintaining the bridge, revealing that 104 routine and corrective maintenance operations were conducted in 2023 alone, requiring approximately 5,222 working hours.
Between 2014 and 2022, Dubai’s RTA executed 14 major maintenance works on Al Maktoum Bridge, including replacing the main hydraulic cylinder, all pipes, valves, sensors, and hydraulic elements.
Al Maktoum Bridge’s sophisticated design includes hydraulic pumps allowing the bridge to open and close for maritime navigation in Dubai Creek. Routine and preventive maintenance tasks include checking the electric generator, brake pedals, and hydraulic pipes and ensuring the proper functioning of the bridge’s moving parts.
Weekly, monthly, and quarterly maintenance activities involve inspecting air conditioning units, checking expansion joints and maintaining mechanical connections. The quarterly routine includes checking the oil level in the electric motor and inspecting the fender shackles. At the same time, annual maintenance involves inspecting all civil and structural components, complemented by underwater inspections conducted by a skilled team of divers.
Featured image: Most of Al Maktoum Bridge’s maintenance activities are scheduled during nighttime. Image: Dubai’s RTA
Last Updated on 10 months by News Desk 1
