Driving from Saadiyat Island to Reem Island or Abu Dhabi Island could soon take just 10 minutes.

The Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) has announced that Phase One of the AED2.85 billion Mid-Island Parkway is scheduled for completion in 2027. The project will create a new road connection between Saadiyat Island and Umm Yifeenah Island.

The first phase includes an eight-lane road connecting Saadiyat’s northern interchange on the E12 to the southern end of the island and onwards to Umm Yifeenah Island. Once open, the journey to Reem Island or Abu Dhabi Island is expected to decrease from around 25 minutes to 10 minutes.

The project will also add four kilometres of walking and cycling tracks, connecting with existing routes to create a 12-kilometre path across Saadiyat Island and Umm Yifeenah Island.

Phase Two will extend the Mid-Island Parkway by 14.5 kilometres from Umm Yifeenah Island through Bilrimaid and Samaliyah Islands towards Sas Al Nakhl, Al Raha Beach and Khalifa City.

The new road in Abu Dhabi will have four lanes in each direction and is expected to reduce travel times across the mid-island corridor to around seven minutes. Dedicated walking and cycling tracks will also run along the route.

Once the wider Mid-Island Parkway is fully operational, the journey between Saadiyat Island and Zayed City is expected to take less than 15 minutes.

The DMT has also announced plans for a 37-kilometre coastal route connecting Al Hudayriyat Island to the E11 at Al Nouf.

The three-lane-each-way expressway will provide an alternative route around central Abu Dhabi traffic, connecting Al Dhafra with Al Hudayriyat and Abu Dhabi Island via Halat Al Bahrani, Al Futaisi and Al Aryam Islands.

The project will serve both commuters and commercial freight, while incorporating environmental measures around the Bul Syayeef Marine Protected Area and Ramsar wetland.