Abu Dhabi tunnel gets underway

The tunnel, which connects Abu Dhabi’s north east entrance to Port Zayed, is being constructed 15 m beneath Al Salam Street and, once opened in 2011, is expected to divert significant levels of traffic away from the city centre.

The 3 km tunnel is part of a AED 3 billion (US$ 817 million) infrastructure project for the capital of the UAE that also includes construction of a 500 m flyover connecting the city to Reem Island.

Once complete, the tunnel is expected to accommodate four lanes of traffic in each direction and feature state-of-the-art safety, monitoring and control systems.