When one tunnel closes, another bridge opens.

Doors may have been involved in the actual analogy, but in more important news, Dubai’s stunning new Infinity Bridge will open to traffic for the first time on Sunday, January 16 and to facilitate its opening, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) on Friday announced that Al Shindagha Tunnel will be temporarily closed for two months in the direction from Deira to Bur Dubai.

The closure is required to complete the link between the Infinity Bridge and the new bridges with Al Shindagha Tunnel. The traffic will normally flow from Deira to Bur Dubai and vice-a-versa on Infinity Bridge, which can take 24,000 vehicles in both directions each hour.

First announced in 2018, the Infinity Bridge is part of the Dh5.3-billion Al Shindagha Corridor Project. Consisting of six lanes in each direction, the bridge has an arch-shaped like the infinity symbol – which symbolises Dubai’s unlimited ambitions.

According to the RTA website, the bridge goes across the creek. It is 300 metres long and 22 metres wide and can accommodate 24,000 vehicles in both directions.

The bridge improves the link between Deira and Bur Dubai by increasing the total number of lanes crossing Dubai Creek from 48 to 60. It features a combined 3-metre track for pedestrians and cyclists.