The west bridge of the Sixth Crossing at Dubai Creek is the world’s widest spanning arch bridge at 667 m with an iconic arch rising 205 m above sea level.

The east bridge has a span of 560 m and the arch rises 88 m above sea level. Together, they are experienced as components of the global architectural composition with a continuously flowing form.
The clear span of the bridge leaves the Creek unobstructed from structural elements and provides the highest possible flexibility for future water traffic development. The soaring arch, constructed in a spectacular manner and the use of modern, high-performance materials for the whole project results in an innovative and iconic design that will be seen as the new landmark in the region.

Arch bridges
There are two arches with landings in front of the Opera Island. The structure provides a 16-m-high navigation clearance. Both bridges accommodate six traffic lines in each direction, emergency sidewalks, two light rail lines and two pedestrian walkways. The walkways are situated below the bridge deck to protect pedestrians from sun and noise.
The structural system of the bridges is the classical suspended deck arch bridge with the arch mainly under compression. The hangers are vertical and the arch has to resist compression and bending.
The hangers are aligned with the inclined axis of the parabola defining the form of the arch. The complete bridge deck is arranged between two inclined arches.
At the taller western span, the arches meet at the keystone, thus creating sufficient resistance in transverse direction. The lower east span arch has the same transverse inclination and requires crossbeams to connect the two separate arches for sufficient transverse stability. The piers and arches form a continuous integral structure.
The 4-m-deep composite bridge deck is around 70 m wide overall and spans in transverse direction from hanger to hanger. The transverse girder and the hangers are spaced 10 m. The concrete deck slab, together with the steel beams, forms an effective composite system with an opening between the deck halves.
The hangers are full locked grade cables with terminations at the bridge deck and adjustable terminations inside the arch for adjustment and re-tensioning. Each hanger consists of a twin cable for easy replacement and repair due to accidents. The removal of any two-hanger cables shall be possible.
The bridge deck is supported by fixed and sliding elastomeric pot bearings. Hydraulic devices are used to resist horizontal movements during seismic events. The substructure of the arches consists of a thick pile cap with bored cast-in-place piles.

Bridgeway ramps
The bridge approaches are concrete with a separate deck for each direction. The deck cross-section is a multi-cellular concrete box. The span and depth may be modified according to local conditions.
Depending on the number of lanes, the deck section is either a multi-cellular box or a simple box.
There are two options for bridge deck construction:
• Erected in-situ on scaffolding or with travelling formwork;
• Erected with precast segments using a launching girder or the balanced cantilever method.