Abu Dhabi set to launch region’s longest tunnel

Abu Dhabi is on the verge of launching the Middle East’s longest traffic tunnel which will allow motorists heading into the city from the eastern entrance to emerge from underground at its western edge without having to make any stop.

Nearly three years after work began, Alsalam tunnel is nearing completion and could be inaugurated late this year to coincide with the forthcoming summit in the Capital of the heads of state of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

South Korea’s Samsung Construction is carrying out the Dhfive-billion project, which will also link the mainland to the nearby Reem Island, where at least 150,000 inhabitants will live. The causeway to the island has been completed and could be opened to traffic in the next few weeks.

More than 2,000 workers have been involved in the construction of the three-km tunnel, which starts from the eastern entrance of Abu Dhabi city and runs under Alsalam street towards Port Zayed on the western tip of the capital.

“Work is in its final stages….it now involves the construction of water and electricity networks, sewage pipelines and rain drainage systems inside the tunnel…work also includes the installation of a massive ventilation system as well as advanced systems for measuring gas emissions,” said the Abu Dhabi Municipality, which is overseeing the tunnel project.

Around two kilometres of the tunnel would be embedded nearly 15 metres underground while the rest would be open.

“The project will largely ease traffic congestion as it will allow cars to travel non-stop from the eastern edge to the western part of the city,” the Municipality said. “It will also ease traffic movement for surrounding areas and to the city centre from the Tourist Club area…this will lead to a reduction in emissions from car exhausts and contribute cleaner and safer environment.”

The project has severely disrupted traffic and caused massive road bottlenecks on Salam Street and the Tourist Club area in the Western part of the Capital but officials say such problems would be a matter of the past once the tunnel and accompanying flyovers are completed.

 Hundreds of cars and trucks are seen queuing the roads on Salam and the adjoining Tourist Club area most of the time and many of them end up losing their way or taking longer routes to avert the noisy jam and impatient drivers.

“This is only a temporary problem…after the project is completed and all roads are open, you will see the benefits of this work…this project is going to alter the face of the western part of the city,” Shamsi said.

“It will largely expand road capacity in those areas and resolve traffic bottlenecks in many roads, mainly for those who come into Abu Dhabi from outside.”

After it is launched, apartment owners will start moving into the 900-hectare Reem Island, just around 300 metres off the coast of Abu Dhabi.

Sorouh (Shams Abu Dhabi), Reem Investments and other real estate firms are developing Reem, which is expected to be one of the largest and most impressive tourist developments in the world.

The project on the Island include residential, commercial and recreational centres. It will also house hotels, restaurants, gardens, museums, an aquarium, amusement parks for children and a wildlife reserve.

“This mega tunnel project is part of the municipality’s strategic aim to meet the requirements of a developing city, as well as respond to the needs of the growing population. Furthermore, the municipality’s efforts are directed towards securing an advanced network of infrastructure and transportation facilities to achieve the highest level of road system efficiency in Abu Dhabi,” the Municipality said.

Officials said the tunnel is part of a long-term blueprint by Abu Dhabi to expand its inhabited areas and road networks to cope with a sharp rise in the population, which officials expect to nearly triple in the next 20 years.

“The project is vital for the Capital’s development plans in the long term as it is intended to cope with the expected large increase in the population and traffic,” said Jumma Al Junaibi, the Municipality’s Director General.

Facts about the tunnel project

Project parts:

Part 1  (Contract 1) - Running from the intersection of Hazza Bin Zayed Street up to the Mina at the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. Consists of a 3.1 km long tunnel where 2 kms of the tunnel will be covered and 1 km will be open. About 2,000 people are working on this contract.

Part 2  (Contract 2) - Stretching from Maqtaa Bridge up to the intersection with Street No. 31 in the Eastern Ring Road. Consists of two tunnels, the length of each is 850 meters. About 1,000 people are working on this contract.

Part 3  (Contract 3) - Stretching from the intersection of Al Saada Street up to the intersection with Hazza Bin Zayed Road. Consists of a 850m tunnel, and a bridge leading to Al Reem Island. About 1,200 people are working on this contract.

Part 4  (Contract 4) - Stretching from the intersection with Street No. 31 up to the intersection with Street No. 19 (Al Saada Street), which is an expansion of this part of the street. About 150 people are working on this contract.

-Project total value: Around Dh five billion

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