Work on an arterial road network which will serve the 200,000 residents and visitors of Abu Dhabi’s Reem Island, is well on track according Bunya, to the project’s developer.

Bunya CEO Tariq Hatim Sultan says the integrated regional road and mass transport system that is rapidly emerging will be the envy of many other Middle Eastern cities when complete.
Work on the main 25-km road network, which will criss-cross the 870-hectare natural island in the capital city of Abu Dhabi, is on schedule. 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,” he says. “We are on track to provide effective and efficient regional roads and utilities for Phase One development by the end of 2009.”
He adds that the permanent road system is going to be unique in many ways.
“Some 6 million cu m of dredged infill is being used to create a series of raised roads more than 5 m 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 says. “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, 5-m-wide pedestrian walkways and equally generous 5-m-wide cycle tracks.
“There is nothing else like it in the Gulf,” he says. “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.”
More than Dh11 billion ($2.99 billion) is being invested in regional and local infrastructure projects alone on Reem Island, which is centrally located between Saadiyat Island, the Capital City of Abu Dhabi, and Suwa Island, the planned home of the stock exchange.
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 sq m, the Reem Island development is among the largest in Abu Dhabi, and the first of its kind in the Gulf to be executed on a natural island.