Dubai’s US1.09bn Al Sufouh tram system has been designed to carry hundreds of thousands of passengers in an integrated travel system linking some of the most densely populated districts with the rest of the city. Construction of the tram line, which will run through Al Sufouh and past Media City before it loops around the Marina, has caused a number of road diversions. The 19.5km line will run from Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) to the Marina and through Al Sufouh Road to serve Dubai Internet City, Dubai Pearl, Knowledge Village and Dubai College. It will link up with the Red Line of the Dubai Metro at three points on Sheikh Zayed Road, and with the monorail on Palm Jumeirah where it meets Al Sufouh Road.

Current construction works are focusing on utilities and traffic diversions, and building a viaduct along Sheikh Zayed Road. The next step will involve laying track, excavation, anchoring and substructure works to station basements, according to Adnan al Hammadi, the director of construction in rail projects at the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).

The tram alignment will run along the side of Al Sufouh Road and then shift to the central reservation in Dubai Marina. It will operate in both directions on double tracks except at Dubai Marina where it will operate in an anti-clockwise direction on a single track. The tramway will be segregated from other road users.

The tram will run past JBR towards the Sheraton Hotel but will turn left over the last bridge and go past the Damac Waves building before it reaches Sheikh Zayed Road and travels back towards Dubai. It will link with the Metro stations at Jumeirah Lake Towers and Dubai Marina, and will travel on viaducts next to Sheikh Zayed Road with no obstruction to traffic on the road that runs past Marina Mall.

“Most of the tram alignment is at grade except for approximately 2.2km of elevated section along the marina side of Sheikh Zayed Road,” al Hammadi says.

The system – to be built in two phases – is to have 19 stations. The first phase will have 13 stations as well as the depot and is scheduled for completion by April 2011. The trams will run on electricity provided by ground cables.

Related posts:

1. DUBAI TRAMWAY: ROLLING STOCK
2. DUBAI LIGHT RAIL
3. DUBAI METRO OPENS
4. METRO PROGRESS: DUBAI
5. DUBAI – MORE DETAIL
6. DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
7. DUBAI METRO