A 10-lane bridge and a 27km expressway linking the Port Zayed area with the Abu Dhabi-Dubai road through the fast developing Saadiyat and Yas Islands, and the Shahama district that was opened back in October last year has proved to be a huge success.
The 1.4km-long Shaikh Khalifa Bridge and the highway is an alternative route to enter and exit Abu Dhabi for those travelling between Dubai Airport and Abu Dhabi, and can significantly reduce traffic snarls on Salam Street and the Umm Al Nar, Airport and Muroor roads.
Those commuting between the Mina area in Abu Dhabi, and Dubai can save close to 25 kilometres if they take the new route. The diversion from the Dubai-Abu Dhabi road begins from Exit 34 B. However, the link may not yield much saving in distance for those travelling between the other parts of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.The bridge will now serve as the new gateway to Abu Dhabi and is part of the major infrastructure works on Saadi-yat Island.