Reem Island road network 'on schedule'

Work on the main 25-kilometre road network, which will criss-cross the 870-hectare Reem Island, is on schedule, said the CEO of Bunya. Building the roads and utilities infrastructure for Tamouh's, Sorouh's and Reem Investments' projects on Reem Island was Bunya's primary mandate when it was established.

"All the key infrastructural components for Reem Island – of which the roads are central – are moving closer to reality," said Tariq Hatim Sultan, CEO of Bunya.

"We are on track to provide effective and efficient regional roads and utilities for Phase I development by the end of 2009."

The development of the arterial road network will serve the 200,000 residents and visitors of Abu Dhabi's Reem Island.

He added that the permanent road system is going to be unique in many ways.

"Some six million cubic metres of dredged infill is being used to create a series of raised roads more than five metres above sea level.

"This will enable utilities such as power, water, telecommunications, gas, district cooling, and sewerage corridors to be quickly and easily installed and ready for all three master developers and their third party developers."

Moreover, the end design will see the combination of aesthetics and function.

"Full traffic assessments using the latest technology in traffic simulation software, along with comprehensive environmental studies, have been completed," he stated.

"This will result in modern traffic management systems to ensure optimal, smooth traffic flow.

"It will also be combined with an eco-friendly layout comprising spectacular tree-lined boulevards."

Bunya will shortly unveil the landscaping designs for the boulevards, which will feature dedicated, five-metre wide pedestrian walkways and equally generous five-metre wide cycle tracks.

"There is nothing else like it in the Gulf," Sultan said.

"The landscaping will form a stunning and efficient addition to the island's natural beauty. Moreover, it will dovetail with the Urban Planning Council's blueprint for the development of a unique, highly functional community that features state-of-the-art public transport systems.

"This will resolve, from the outset, many of the common issues currently being experienced elsewhere in the region." More than Dh11bn is being invested in regional and local infrastructure projects alone on Reem Island.

This amount excludes innovative solutions such as the planned public transport network systems on the island. A Light Rail system is planned to run throughout the island and to be fully integrated with Abu Dhabi via a metropolitan rail system.

Spread across 8.5 million square metres, the Reem Island development is among the largest in Abu Dhabi, and the first development of its kind in the Gulf region to be executed on a natural island.