Abu Dhabi, Dec. 9th, 2006 (WAM)---Design has been completed and contractorshave been invited to tender for a major interchange project on Al SalamStreet. The project consists of two interchanges located at the intersectionsof Hazaa' Bin Zayed Street (A.K.A Difa'a Street) and at the Sea Palacethat will replace existing intersection configurations. These two newinterchanges are the first step in upgrading Al Salam Street-Eastern CornicheRoad into an access-controlled freeway.

"Al Salam Street is one of three main arteries running the length of AbuDhabi Island," said Eng. Abdullah Salem Al Kathairi, General Directorof Roads and Transport, Department of Municipalities and Agriculture- Abu Dhabi Municipality.

"It carries up to 60,000 vehicles, and traffic demand is expected toincrease due to Sheikh Zayed Bridge and new developments on adjacentislands.""These two interchange improvements are one part ofa larger program to convert Al Salam Street to a high-speed freeway, wherethru traffic will pass unimpeded below or above signalized intersectionsat the surface." According to Al Kathairi, the new interchange at the intersectionof Al Salam Street and Hazaa' Bin Zayed Street will be a four-level interchange,the first in Abu Dhabi." Al Salam Street thru traffic will pass througha tunnel, approximately 700 meters in length, while local turning movementswill operate at the surface level through a reconfigured signalized intersection.

Above the surface intersection, a 180-meter-long bridge will carry Hazaa'Bin Zayed Street traffic travelling between Abu Dhabi Island and Al ReemIsland.

A second bridge, above Hazaa' Bin Zayed Street Bridge, will carrytraffic from Al Reem Island to Al Salam Street outbound.

"At the Sea Palace Interchange, Al Salam Street thru traffic will passthrough a second tunnel of approximately 630 meters in length," said Al Kathairi.

"Local traffic at the surface will pass through a signalizedintersection. An extension of the fourth-level ramp from Hazaa' Bin ZayedStreet interchange will carry Al Reem Island traffic toward Sheikh ZayedBridge, bypassing the signalized intersection"Al Reem Island, to the east of Abu Dhabi Island, is currently being developedas a mixed-use community. New bridges and roads from Al Reem Island willconnect directly to Al Salam Street. Developments on Saadiyat Island willalso be indirectly connected to Al Salam Street. Other potential developmentprojects on the eastern side of Abu Dhabi Island will also depend on AlSalam Street as a traffic artery.

"Abu Dhabi is envisaged to grow dynamically," said Mr. Al Kathairi "Weare being creative and responsive in proactively providing road transportationimprovements to accommodate and foster that growth."The construction contract for these two interchanges is currently beingtendered. At the same time the Road Directorate is currently tenderingfor design services for a series of other interchange improvements onAl Salam Street, both in the central business district near Mina Roadand at the other end of the island, near Sheikh Zayed Bridge.

Furthermore, the Road Directorate has also tendered for design servicesfor widening a long section of Eastern Corniche Road, which is the extensionof Al Salam Street.

"Each individual improvement is part of a larger programto provide a non-stop, freeway level of service for the entire lengthof Abu Dhabi Island."While construction will necessarily have some effect on Al Salam Streettraffic, Al Kathairi said every effort was being made to minimizedisruption or inconvenience. "Construction will be staged such that threelanes of traffic in each direction are open at all times and local accesswill not be impeded."