Infinity Bridge – Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

We were selected by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to provide consultancy services for the improvement of the Al Shindagha Corridor in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement is one of Dubai’s largest road and bridge projects, whose area’s historical richness adds to its significance. The Dubai Infinity Bridge project is in one of the major and busy districts of Dubai, a location that stands as a vibrant testimony of Dubai’s development into a global commercial hub.

The Infinity Bridge forms part of a larger project to improve the Al Shindagha Corridor in Dubai, UAE. The bridge component primarily consisted of building a major new structure to replace the Al Shindagha tunnel as the main traffic carrier between the areas of Bur Dubai and Deira. The bridge crosses the Dubai Creek and will connect to a new 12-lane, 13km long expressway. The 300m-long and 55m-wide signature bridge serves as the visual focal point for the overall project. Our services included undertaking traffic studies, a preliminary study, preliminary design and final design. We also carried out construction supervision.

Project Purpose

The project primarily consisted of a new major structure crossing Dubai Creek and a roadway corridor connecting the new crossing to the Al Shindagha area. The Infinity Bridge is a 300m long and 55m wide visual focal point of the Al Shindagha Corridor in Dubai, UAE. The bridge boasts an iconic design based on the concept of infinity and replaced the Al Shindagha tunnel as the main carrier of traffic between the two sides of the Dubai Creek at the Bur Dubai and Deira areas. The bridge will connect to a new 12-lane and thirteen kilometers of expressway.

A Thoughtful Bridge Design

Apart from the new bridge design, the marine works also involved the detailed design of the vessel navigation channel and the pier protection structures. More specifically, the subtasks included the design of the vessel navigation channel under the new bridge; design of aids to navigation; design of the pier protection structures which will provide protection for the bridge piers and the steel infinity arch against collision or impact due to an errant waterborne vessel traveling in the Dubai Creek; design of scour protection; hydrodynamic numerical modeling studies including flushing study; and environmental impact assessment. Parsons has performed several value engineering exercises and achieved cost savings of more than US$95.2 million (AED350 million) in construction cost.

Elegant, Yet Functional

The design of the Infinity Bridge is characterized by its elegant curvature and sleek lines, which not only harmonize with the surrounding landscape but also optimize the structural integrity of the bridge. The two steel arches are diagonally positioned over the bridge deck and have a span length of 135m between the bridge pier centerlines. This design creates the infinity shape. The architectural infinity arch has no structural functionality other than supporting its own weight and partially holding the pedestrian walkway.

The design allowed for the use of post-tensioned concrete box girders, with the Cast-in-Place (CIP) method of box girder fabrication adopted. To facilitate transportation from the fabrication shop to the project site, the arches were prefabricated in segments and then assembled and connected using field splices.

We are proud of our efforts (using value engineering) to help the client achieve significant cost savings exceeding US$95.2 million (AED350 million).

Services Provided

• Traffic Studies
• Concept Studies
• Road Safety Review
• Transportation Integration
• Preliminary & Final Designs
• Tender Preparation for Contractors
• Construction Supervision