A new 12km walking and cycling route are also included in the plans
Abu Dhabi is getting a major road upgrade, and if you spend a decent chunk of your week travelling between the city’s islands, this latest development might make your day.
The Mid-Island Parkway is a huge new infrastructure project designed to make getting around some of Abu Dhabi’s key islands quicker and easier.
The first phase, worth AED2.85 billion, is scheduled for completion in 2027 and will create a new connection between Saadiyat Island and Umm Yifeenah Island.
And there’s some potentially very good news for anyone who has watched 25 minutes disappear during the journey from Saadiyat towards Reem Island or Abu Dhabi Island.
Once the new connection is operational, that journey is expected to take around 10 minutes.
That’s enough time saved for another coffee, a longer lunch or simply a little less staring at brake lights.
The first phase will include an eight-lane dual carriageway connecting the northern Saadiyat interchange on the E12 with the southern end of Saadiyat and onwards to Umm Yifeenah Island.
But there’s rather more involved than simply adding another road. Around two kilometres of reclaimed land will be created and protected by 150,000 square metres of rock covering to help reduce erosion.
Another 1.5 kilometres will consist of an underground channel, including a 600-metre underwater section running 11 metres beneath Khor Laffan.
So, yes, there’s a fair amount happening beneath your wheels.
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Engineers are also using precast concrete roof panels manufactured off site, alongside on-site construction and scaffolding, to help reduce construction time.
For anyone who knows Saadiyat mainly as the place for museums, beaches, restaurants and increasingly busy residential communities, the project could make the island considerably easier to navigate.
The existing highway already connects destinations including Saadiyat Lagoons, Saadiyat Marina District and NYU Abu Dhabi, and the new infrastructure will build on those connections.
It’s not all about cars, either. The first phase includes four kilometres of walking and cycling tracks, creating a continuous 12-kilometre route across Saadiyat Island and onto Umm Yifeenah Island.
That should give walkers and cyclists another way to explore the area, while the project will also include energy-saving lighting and irrigation infrastructure supporting native and drought-resistant landscaping.
Phase two will extend the corridor by 14.5 kilometres, linking Umm Yifeenah Island through Bilrimaid and Samaliyah islands to Sas Al Nakhl, Al Raha Beach and Khalifa City.
The second phase will also feature four lanes in each direction, as well as walking and cycling tracks, marine bridges, elevated flyovers and an underwater road tunnel.
Once the wider Mid-Island Parkway is fully operational, journeys between Saadiyat Island and Zayed City are expected to take just under 15 minutes.
There’s another major road plan to keep an eye on, too. DMT has showcased a planned 37-kilometre coastal route linking Al Hudayriyat Island with the E11 at Al Nouf.
The proposed route will have three lanes in each direction, one tunnel, seven kilometres of marine bridges and four kilometres of causeways.
It will connect Al Dhafra with Al Hudayriyat Island and Abu Dhabi Island through Halat Al Bahrani, Al Futaisi and Al Aryam islands.
The aim is to create a coastal bypass around central Abu Dhabi, giving both commuters and commercial traffic another route through the emirate.
For residents, the big takeaway will be music to your ears, as Abu Dhabi is working on a whole new web of connections between its islands.
There may be plenty of construction happening before we get there, but once these projects are complete, some familiar journeys could become considerably quicker, leaving you with more time to actually enjoy where you’re going.
