Abu Dhabi Opens Two New Bridges To Slash Traffic Delays By 80% During Peak Hours

In Abu Dhabi, a significant step has been taken to enhance the city's road network and facilitate smoother traffic flow with the inauguration of two new bridges. These structures connect Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street with Shakhbout Bin Sultan Street towards Musaffah, marking a pivotal advancement in the city's transport infrastructure.

Engineered to accommodate 7,500 vehicles per hour, the bridges are expected to slash average delays at a crucial intersection by up to 80% during morning rush hours. This improvement is a testament to the strategic efforts aimed at upgrading road efficiency and capacity.

Image Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Media Office

With the bridges now open, congestion is anticipated to decrease significantly, with average wait times during peak hours reduced to mere 20 seconds. Moreover, the integration of provisions for future developments, including an underpass project, ensures that the infrastructure can adapt to the city's evolving transportation demands and support its continued growth.

The completion of this Dh315 million project brings with it a trio of lanes on a flyover bridge along Khaleej Al Arabi Street and a two-lane bridge that offers a new route to Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street from Shakhbout Bin Sultan Street.

Integral to this upgrade are also new paths dedicated to cyclists and pedestrians, enhanced service roads, and sustainable landscaping, highlighting a commitment not only to vehicular traffic but also to environmental and pedestrian concerns. Spanning a length of 742 metres and covering a surface area of 10,242m2, the bridges are a significant addition to Abu Dhabi's infrastructure, featuring five lanes illuminated by 61 streetlights.

The construction of these bridges incorporated extensive resources, including more than 15,354m3 of concrete and the development of over 46,000m2 of street landscaping. Supported by 12 piers, the ramps extend 990 metres, showcasing the project's massive scale. Notably, the entire construction was accomplished with over 3 million safe man-hours, achieving a noteworthy safety milestone with no lost time incidents (LTI), underscoring the commitment to safety and efficiency in this ambitious project.

Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), emphasized that the bridges represent the latest in a line of major infrastructure projects aimed at bolstering Abu Dhabi's road network, enhancing connectivity and elevating the quality of life for all city dwellers. He highlighted the DMT's mission to foster a connected and livable city through modern transportation solutions that ease congestion, shorten travel times, enhance transport safety, and safeguard the environment.

Al Shorafa elaborated on the project's significance, stating, "DMT's mission is to create a seamless, connected and liveable city through multiple modes of modern transportation while alleviating congestion, cutting journey times, improving transport safety, and protecting our environment. We are investing heavily to ensure Abu Dhabi's infrastructure ranks among the very best in the world and that we meet the capital's current and future transportation needs."

"It is fitting that this new infrastructure, delivered on time and budget, opens as we welcome 2025 – a year where a wave of transformative projects will be unveiled to accommodate Abu Dhabi's rapid economic growth. This is only the very beginning. By working together with all stakeholders, DMT will accelerate the provision of the smart and sustainable infrastructure required by a growing population to move seamlessly through our city."

The strategic collaboration between DMT and its affiliate, the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility), has been crucial in realizing this project, which serves not only daily commuters into the city but also those heading to Zayed International Airport, Mussafah, and Hudayriyat Island.