Most of Salam Street to open in a month

Work on the first three phases of the Dh5 billion Salam Street project will be completed by the end of next month, a senior city official say.

ABU DHABI // Work on the first three phases of the Dh5 billion Salam Street project will be completed by the end of next month, a senior city official said yesterday.

The finishing touches are being applied to about 14km of the 18km project, including four tunnels and a bridge leading to Al Reem Island, Abdullah al Shamsi, the director of infrastructure and municipal assets for Abu Dhabi Municipality, said.

The fourth phase, which runs from Hazza bin Zayed Street to Mina Road and includes a 3.1km tunnel under the Tourist Club area, is still under construction.

This final phase, or contract 1, of the project is 62 per cent finished and should be completed in nine months, Mr al Shamsi said.

The last stage of the project was originally planned to be ready this month.

In July, the target date was moved from October to the end of this year. Now it is expected to be ready "next summer".

Businesses have complained of lost trade during the two years of construction and the area has suffered daily traffic congestion - which the new route is expected to relieve.