'All-green' project to ease traffic flow in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: More than 60 per cent of the three major phases of the upgrading of Salam Street has been completed, officials told Gulf News on Sunday after an exclusive visit to the construction site.

Salam Street, one of the busiest streets in the city and an important arterial road, is being upgraded to an urban expressway at a cost of Dh5 billion and is expected to open for traffic on October 31 next year.

The ambitious project will facilitate an uninterrupted "green drive" on the 14-kilometre road from Maqta bridge or Shaikh Zayed bridge (under construction) to Port Zayed without the hassle of stopping at traffic lights. Upon completion of the project, the street will be able to handle about 6,000 cars per hour.

"The project is progressing on schedule … within the budget. About 50 per cent ... of Contract One, comprising ... one of the longest tunnels in the region ... [has been] ... completed," said Abdullah Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director, Municipal Assets and Infrastructure, of Abu Dhabi Municipality. Contract Two (a 4.1-kilometre road including two tunnels) and Contract Three (a 3.3-kilometre road and two tunnels) are 68 per cent and 64.34 per cent complete respectively, he said.

Cuts pollution

In addition to the absence of traffic signals minimising fuel consumption and air pollution, the green tunnel and greenery offer an eco-friendly environment. The tunnels will minimise air pollution as the sensors of the exhaust system will find traces of carbon monoxide and drain this out of the tunnel. More greenery in the form of plants and trees will also included.

The traffic flow in the 3.6-kilometre tunnel from Al Mina Road intersection to Al Falah Street intersection should not be blocked by any accidents, thanks to a state-of-the-art tunnel safety and management system.

Facts: Project features

Major tunnel (Contract One) :

- 3.6-kilometre tunneln 2.4-kilometre box area (covered area) 
- 1-kilometre open stretch and 0.2-kilometre approach road
- 4 lanes in each direction can carry 6,000 vehicles per hour. 
-  Speed limit inside the tunnel to be 60 kilometres per hour

Progress

- More than 60 per cent of three contracts completed

- Contracts One to Three constitute 80 per cent of the total project

- Contract One is 50 per cent complete

- Contract Two is 68 per cent complete

- Contract Three is 64.34 per cent complete

- Contract Four is 7.72 per cent complete