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From Saturday, 4 July 2026, UAE media report an RTA traffic diversion on Emirates Road, including a temporary closure of the tunnel between Al Amardi Street and Tripoli Street for about two months. The official basis is Emirates Road expansion work, but drivers should recheck RTA channels because no dedicated public closure map was found at last check.
HAPPENING NOW
Emirates Road diversion starts 4 July
UAE media report a temporary tunnel closure linked to expansion works.
WHEN / WHERE
About two months near Al Amardi
The affected tunnel is between Al Amardi Street and Tripoli Street.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Check signs and RTA channels
Named turn-by-turn diversion routes were not available at last check.
◷Last checked: 4 July 2026
◎For Emirates Road drivers, recheck RTA or live navigation before travelling
THE FULL PICTURE
Emirates Road drivers need to plan around a new diversion
A temporary traffic diversion is reported to have started on Emirates Road on Saturday, 4 July 2026, affecting the tunnel between Al Amardi Street and Tripoli Street. Gulf News and Khaleej Times both report the closure is expected to last approximately two months.
The disruption is linked to Emirates Road expansion and Al Amardi-area road upgrades. Official Dubai Media Office material, quoting RTA, confirms a wider summer programme of traffic Quick Wins across 28 Dubai locations between July and September 2026, including two new lanes over a 5 km section of Emirates Road from Sharjah towards Al Amardi Street.
For drivers, the practical message is simple: allow extra time, especially at peak hours, follow temporary signs and check RTA channels or live navigation before leaving. At last check, a dedicated public RTA closure advisory or map for this exact tunnel diversion had not been found in accessible web results.
AFFECTED LOCATION
The closure is reported between Al Amardi Street and Tripoli Street
The reported closure affects the tunnel connecting or sitting between Al Amardi Street and Tripoli Street, on or near the Emirates Road corridor. The name of the tunnel is not fully settled in accessible sources: Gulf News reports it as Al Aleyas Tunnel, while Khaleej Times reports it as Al Aayal Tunnel.
Because no directly accessible RTA closure map was found during research, this draft refers primarily to the tunnel by its location rather than treating either spelling as officially confirmed. Editors should check RTA’s latest X, Instagram or app advisory before publication and update the spelling if an official graphic is available.
The same UAE media reports say the works also affect loop ramps at the Emirates Road and Maleha Street intersection. Drivers approaching that junction should expect temporary lane guidance and follow the on-site diversion signs rather than relying only on a static route description.
HOW LONG AND WHY
The diversion is expected for about two months
Gulf News and Khaleej Times both report that the closure and diversion are expected to remain in place for approximately two months from 4 July 2026. That points to an approximate early September 2026 window, but no firm reopening date has been verified from an accessible official closure notice.
The reason is capacity work on Emirates Road and upgrades around the Al Amardi area. The official Dubai Media Office release says the Emirates Road improvement will add two lanes over a 5 km section from the Emirate of Sharjah towards Al Amardi Street.
That same official background says Emirates Road is a key corridor linking Dubai with neighbouring emirates and sees high volumes during peak periods. RTA expects the Emirates Road expansion to reduce peak-hour journey time on the corridor by 25% once the improvement is complete.
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TRAVEL ADVICE
Dubai-bound Emirates Road users should leave extra time
The highest-risk drivers are likely to be Dubai-bound Emirates Road users, Sharjah-to-Dubai commuters, peak-hour motorists and anyone needing the Al Amardi to Tripoli connection or the Emirates Road and Maleha Street loop ramps.
- Check before leaving: use RTA channels, the RTA Dubai App or live navigation for the latest routing.
- Build in extra time: media reports warn drivers to allow for delays, especially during peak periods.
- Follow site signs: the available reports refer to designated diversion routes, but no full turn-by-turn list was found.
- Avoid peaks if possible: Emirates Road carries heavy inter-emirate traffic, making morning and evening commuting more sensitive.
Need the careful caveats?
No accessible advisory found during this research pass confirmed separate impacts on Dubai Metro, public buses, taxis, ride-hailing, intercity buses or trucks for this specific closure. That does not mean those modes are unaffected. It means no mode-specific change was found at last check.
Named alternative roads were also not available in the verified material, so this article does not invent a diversion route. Follow the temporary signs and live instructions around Emirates Road, Al Amardi Street, Tripoli Street and Maleha Street.
OFFICIAL LINKS
Where to check before you drive
Because road diversions can change during active works, drivers should use official and live channels immediately before travelling.
WHAT CHANGED
The practical change for drivers
- 30 June 2026: Dubai Media Office confirmed RTA’s wider summer Quick Wins programme and the Emirates Road expansion from Sharjah towards Al Amardi Street.
- 4 July 2026: Gulf News and Khaleej Times reported an RTA traffic diversion starting on Emirates Road, including the temporary closure of the tunnel between Al Amardi Street and Tripoli Street.
- At last check: the dedicated public RTA closure map, official tunnel spelling and named alternative route list were not found in accessible web results.
WHAT WE CHECKED
Official background is confirmed, the closure details are media-reported
Last checked on 4 July 2026. This draft uses official Dubai Media Office and RTA material for the wider Emirates Road works, and reputable UAE reporting for the specific 4 July tunnel closure and diversion. Editors should recheck RTA live channels before publishing.
- Dubai Media Office: official background confirming RTA Quick Wins, Emirates Road expansion, two new lanes over 5 km and expected 25% peak journey-time improvement.
- RTA Dubai App page: official RTA digital service page used for reader recheck guidance.
- RTA internal roads update: official supporting context on Wadi Al Amardi and Tripoli Street area works.
- RTA Tripoli Street update: official supporting context on the Tripoli Street corridor and Emirates Road connections.
- Khaleej Times: reputable reporting on the reported 4 July diversion, Al Aayal Tunnel spelling, loop-ramp works and approximate two-month duration.
- Gulf News: reputable reporting on the reported 4 July diversion, Al Aleyas Tunnel spelling, Maleha Street loop ramps and peak-hour advice.
- Arabian Business: original editorial lead and scope trigger, not used as the primary authority for practical closure details.
- RTA official X account: official channel to recheck for live maps, graphics and the final tunnel spelling.
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