A short expansion of road in the capital that links a popular thoroughfare with a highway has proved to be a big hit with motorists.
The road links Hamdan Street in the city center with the Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Bridge and Expressway was opened in December and provides another smooth route for outbound traffic from Abu Dhabi city.
It consists of three lanes in each direction and motorists can head to and back from Saadiyat Island, Yas Island and the northern emirates using this road.
“Heading towards the city center was always a little bit difficult because the older road that connected with the expressway had a particularly congested junction. Now I can easily drive into the city after work,” Fatima Al Qubaisi, a 27-year-old visitor service coordinator, told Gulf News. Fatima works at the Manaarat Al Saadiyat gallery on Saadiyat Island and said she had always felt the need for an alternative road when she drove to and from work every day.
Before the opening of the new link, motorists had to drive through Corniche road, cut through Mina Zayed port area and then join the expressway. A signalised intersection before the bridge and expressway frequently saw heavy traffic, including many lorries from the port.
Commuters heading to the islands will also have to pay lower taxi fares when they use this particular road, said S. Kamal, a Bangladeshi taxi driver.
“If you take the Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Expressway towards Yas Island, the fare is usually about Dh55. Using the other roads, such as Shaikh Zayed Street or Sultan bin Zayed Street, increases the fare to about Dh75,” Kamal explained.
“But most customers would not want to take the expressway because of the congestion near the Mina Zayed intersection. The new link road has therefore eased the journey considerably,” he added.
The taxi driver regularly takes passengers to Yas Island using the new road.
“The only issue I still face is that the new intersection on Hamdan Street just before the link is usually a bit congested. Still, it is better than the traffic we faced earlier near Mina Zayed,” he said.
According to a statement sent by the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City in December, the newly opened road can accommodate up to 2,000 cars per hour.
However, not all commuters who frequently travel to areas outside Abu Dhabi city are aware of the new link.
Ammar Al Thuwaini, a media executive from Jordan, said he often used to take the Shaikh Khalifa expressway when he lived in the city’s Tourist Club Area.
“The highway is very wide, and it made for a smooth drive to Dubai. But like most other people, I didn’t like the traffic at the port intersection,” he said.
Al Thuwaini now lives in a different part of the city, and usually takes Shaikh Zayed Street towards Dubai.
“Now that I know of the new link road, I might just try out the route I took earlier,” he said.
For more information about selling damaged cars, please visit
