Al Garhoud Bridge, Road bridge over Dubai Creek in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Al Garhoud Bridge is a concrete viaduct carrying a divided asphalt roadway across Dubai Creek, with low concrete barriers and slender gray streetlight poles along both edges. Its deck stands 16 m above the water on thick concrete piers, and the structure is 520 m long with 14 lanes, seven in each direction.
The first Al Garhoud Bridge opened in 1976 as the second road crossing of Dubai Creek, after Al Maktoum Bridge. By 2007 it carried nearly 9,000 vehicles an hour at peak, with seven lanes converging into three toward Bur Dubai. A replacement built by BESIX between 2006 and 2008 cost 415 million dirhams; its Deira-bound lanes opened on 15 December 2007 and the rest on 15 March 2008. The old bridge was then demolished.
The bridge's piers were designed to carry heritage panels and decorative artworks while meeting safety standards. Shortly after it opened, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority announced that the structure would be decorated with artwork resembling sand dunes by day and waves at night, using lighting. Beneath the span, the area has become a spot for anglers, photographers and picnickers, drawn by the buildings and light reflections on the piers and the green spaces.
The bridge functions as a major traffic corridor and uses the Salik toll system for vehicle charges. Visitors should note that the crossing can be very busy during peak hours and traffic often moves slowly.
The area beneath the bridge has become a gathering spot for anglers, photographers and picnickers, drawn by the buildings and the reflections of lights on the bridge piers, along with the green spaces. The bridge piers were designed so that heritage panels and artworks could be displayed on them.
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