ABU DHABI // Several lanes of the Sheikh Zayed Tunnel will close for nearly a year as upgrading work is carried out. The Abu Dhabi Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport said on Twitter on Monday that five lanes will remain open to traffic. Motorists will have access to three northbound lanes and two heading south, while fast lanes in both directions will remain closed between Al Falah Street and Hazza bin Zayed Street until January 10 next year. The stretch of the tunnel immediately before where the lane closures are planned, on the northbound side, is notorious for traffic jams during rush hours as motorists attempt to exit the tunnel at the Hazza Bin Zayed Street off the ramp. The Sheikh Zayed Tunnel, originally known as the Salam Street Tunnel, runs from Hazza bin Zayed Street at the Sea Palace Junction to the Corniche and Mina Road. The project, which started in 2007 in an effort to ease traffic on what was then Salam Street (now Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street), was completed in December 2012. The covered section of the tunnel runs for 2.4 kilometres, while the open section covers 1.8km. tsubaihi@thenational.ae