As part of Abu Dhabi strategic plan to provide safe passageways for pedestrians in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi General Services Company (Musanada) announced that it has officially opened a number of footbridges in Abu Dhabi. The project is part of Abu Dhabi efforts to provide the Emirate with pedestrian passages that ensure public safety and encourage an environment free of pedestrian related accidents.
The Safety and Traffic Solutions Committee (STSC), represented by the Department of Transport (DoT) in Abu Dhabi, the Department of Municipal Affairs, the General Command of Abu Dhabi Police and Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, has studied the pedestrians' requirements and developed a comprehensive plan to be implemented by the competent municipalities and Musanada, each according to its scope of work.
In this regard, Eng. Omar Matar Al Mansouri, Acting Director of Roads Department at Musanada, said that "Abu Dhabi General Services Company (Musanada) is keen on upgrading infrastructure services in the city of Abu Dhabi through the implementation of an internationally unique model, which has been strategically studied by renowned companies, in order to ensure maximum safety and comfort for its users. All footbridges were equipped with electric elevators and efficient lights. We also improved the surrounding areas of these footbridges to ensure the users easy and safe access to the bridges and to encourage travel on foot".
Al Mansouri added that the current contract includes the construction of seven pedestrian bridges strategically distributed around the city of Abu Dhabi. The first footbridge is located on Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street near the intersection with Dalma Street and Mohammed bin Khalifa Street. The second footbridge is located on Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street near the intersection with Mohammed bin Khalifa Street and Shakhboot bin Sultan Street. The third footbridge is located on Sultan Bin Zayed First Street near the intersection with Dalma Street and Mohammed bin Khalifa Street. The fourth footbridge is Located at Al Raha Mall. The fifth footbridge is located in Mussaffah commercial area near the intersection with Street 8 and Street 17. The sixth footbridge is located in Al Samha area near the Petrol Station. The seventh footbridge is located near Dalma Mall.
These distinctive footbridges are designed to provide the highest security, safety and comfort standards for all users. This was achieved through installing an effective ventilation system (with fans inside some bridges), using energy-saving light bulbs inside the bridges and beyond, and providing electric lifts for people with special needs and other senior users, in addition to the footbridges ability to accommodate bicycles.
Other features of these pedestrian bridges include that they are located near road crossings, side roads and bus and taxi stations, which provides a safe and integrated system to facilitate and enhance the convenience of travel on foot.
The footbridges architectural design took into account distinct aesthetic features and colours that reflect the cultural identity of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and fit in with the local environment. In order to provide the highest standards of security and safety for all users, the height of these bridges was increased by 1.5 meters to reach the height of 6.5 meters. Moreover, the inside width and height of these footbridges is 3 meters, and they are built using strong shake-proof materials.
Source: WAM