Dubai, 30 June 05 (WAM)--Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Deputy Ruler and Minister of Finance and Industry, crossed on Friday the new Dubai International Airport Tunnel marking its officialopening to traffic.

He and a number of sheikhs and senior officials were aboard the bus,which crossed the 2.2 km-long tunnel back and forth.

Sheikh Hamdan voiced satisfaction over the completion of the project, which he said would significantly ease traffic bottlenecks, particularlyfor those coming to Dubai from Abu Dhabi and Sharjah through theEmirates highway.

"The fast development taking place in Dubai in particular and the UAEin general requires construction of a modern road network to meet thegrowing demand the demographic, tourist and economic upward trendscreate," he told reporters covering the opening ceremony.

He said there were some new roads, tunnels and bridges under construction and that Dubai Municipality would strive to meet the needsof the new areas for modern roads.

Dubai International Airport Tunnel, considered to be the biggest such tunnelin the Middle East, comprises of eight lanes with a capacity for 8,000 vehicles per hour to each direction. The total length of the tunnel is 2.2 km.

The project involves a main 1.516 km tunnel between the Al Quds/Beirut Road and Airport road/Nadd Al Hamar intersections across Dubai International Airport. The Beirut Road or Rashidiya Road will be abandoned to facilitate the airport expansion programme.

The project also involves a group of branch tunnels that are 1.115 km long at Airport Road intersection with Nadd Al Hamar Road in order to ease traffic movement coming from and to the tunnel.

Apart from the main structure of the tunnel, an elevated 440 metre long bridge was constructed at the north entrance of the tunnel above Al Quds/Beirut Road intersection and two other elevated bridges, each 200 metres long at Airport Road/Nadd Al Hamar intersection.

The project, with a total cost of Dhs686 million, was accomplished within 24 months time. The tunnel structure comprises concrete passages for extending cables and other services covered by concrete tiles, which will form foot path for services and maintenance. The security part of the tunnel is also taken care of during its construction.