Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority is set to open a bridge leading to Nakheel’s Deira Islands project this week.

The AED 150 million ($40.8m) bridge will be opened on Friday, December 16, 2016, the RTA said.

Deira Islands will stretch along Deira Beach, covering an area of about 17 million sqm, making it the biggest project in Deira.

The bridge was funded and constructed by Nakheel as part of its AED1 billion infrastructure works at Deira Islands, the developer said in a separate statement.

The bridge starts at Al Khaleej Road and leads to a Deira Islands A. Access is currently limited to construction teams and authorised visitors.

Nakheel Chairman Ali Rashid Lootah said: “We thank the RTA for its assistance and co-operation in supervising the construction and completion of this vital element of Deira Islands. The bridge is a key part of the ongoing infrastructure at the development, and we are extremely proud to have reached this milestone.”

Once construction on the project is completed, it is expected to be inhabited by 250,000 people and 80,000 employees.

“Nakheel has started infrastructure work for islands and maritime structures by completing the entrance of the western bridge and linking it with Al Khaleej Road in the direction of the new ship harbour and fish market, along the stretch of Abu Baker Al Siddique Road starting from the R/A at the intersection with Al Khaleej Road,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA.

According to traffic studies conducted by the RTA, the volume of traffic generated by the project is about 110,000 journeys during peak hours, which requires the construction of a massive network of roads and transit systems.

There will be three main entrances to the Deira Islands project – two at the intersection of Al Khaleej Road with Abu Baker Al Siddique Road and Al Quds Road, while the third will extend from Al Mina Road alongside Rashid Port.