Top 5 bridges to see in Abu Dhabi

Photo by Silas Baisch on Unsplash

Top 5 bridges to see in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi as we know it or Abu Zaby as the locals call it is the capital of Abu Dhabi emirate, one of the United Arab Emirates, it is also the national capital of that federation.

This city is just off the Persian Gulf coast and is connected to the mainland by a short bridge. Abu Dhabi was previously an undeveloped desert town and engaged in local trade.

After some time, it grew and developed after it started trading in oil, it soon became this modern city that has captivated the world with its massive towering skyscrapers and fully developed infrastructure.

The modern architectural design of the city buildings, its massive malls, themed parties and desert safaris are some top activities to look forward to when planning a visit to this futuristic city.

One other fascinating architecture about this city is its bridges. Here are the top 5 bridges to see in Abu Dhabi.

1. Sheikh Zayed Bridge

A photo of Sheikh Zayed Bridge at night-Wikimedia

The Sheikh Zayed Bridge is one of the most stunning bridges built in Abu Dhabi. This bridge was designed by a well-known architect Zaha Hadid. It was named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan the former president of UAE.

While designing the bridge, Zaha incorporated aspects of traditional Islamic and Arab art panache. This has made the bridge the crown jewel of the city and the country.

The dunes of the Emirati desert also feature on this bridge through the curved arches of the bridge. The bridge radiates its elegance more at dusk when the sun sets, the silhouette of the bridge brings out dune effect and the colours are well illumined over the Maqtah Channel.

The construction of this bridge began in 2007 and was completed in 2010 and it has four lanes and it is 842 metres long with the capacity to have at least 16,000 vehicles. There is also a pedestrian footpath and an emergency lane on either side.

The bridge looks even more beautiful at night with the warm lights that change colour radiated by more than 200 automatic light sources. the lights create an illusion of movement and were designed by Rogier van der Heide and later improved by Arup. Navigating the bridge is an effortless trip and pleasant.

2. Mussafah Bridge

Next is the Mussafah bridge which is one of the three strategic bridges in Abu Dhabi that connects the island to the mainland. This bridge was constructed in the late 1970s and was opened to the public in 1977.

Mussafah Bridge was initially a six-lane bridge made of concrete and had 9 pairs of Y-shaped concrete piers supporting it. The bridge was expanded and now has a total of 10 lanes; five lanes on each side. The bridge is 27.6 km from the nearest airport, it is close to Shangri-La hotel.

This bridge connects Bain Al Jessrain, Khalifa City A, B and C, Al Raha to the island city. While cruising the bridge one can see the historic Al Maqtaa Fort close to the Maqtaa Bridge where traveller stops and pose for a photo. The Maqtaa bridge links Abu Dhabi to Dubai.

3. Hodariyat bridge

Hodariyat Bridge By Leonilo Bolano Jr -Wikimedia

The Hodariyat suspension Bridge connects the Hodariyat Island coastline to the Abu Dhabi southern coastline. This bridge is 1.3 km long and is 170 metres wide.

There are six lanes, three on each side and two pedestrian footpaths on either side. It is the largest cable-stay bridge in UAE.

The bridge is supported by a single plane of stay cables and concrete box girder both on the inside and the outside. The spans on the bridge have been built by incremental launching from the braces, while the main spans are built-in balanced cantilever using a beam and winch system.

Construction of Hodariyat bridge commenced in January 2009 after the design-build contract award that was held the previous year. It is believed that more than 5 million hours were spent and more than 650 workers took part in its construction.

Hodariyat bridge is high enough to let ships and other massive water vessels to float below it with ease. It also won the Infrastructure Project of the Year Award in Dec 2012.

Traffic into and out of the city has eased thanks to the bridge.  The movement to Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi Island and Hodariyat Island has been made easy. One gets to enjoy the natural beauty that these islands offer while cruising on the links.

4. Sheikh Khalifa Bridge

Other than Hodariyat bridge that connects the island city to other enchanting islands; the Sheikh Khalifa Bridge connects Abu Dhabi with the Saadiyat Island. It is also known as Saadiyat Bridge.

This bridge was constructed by the engineering company Ed Zublin-Saif Bin Darwish Joint Venture. The construction was completed in 2009. It comprises of 10 lanes, five on each side and it has helped in reducing traffic to the city and out significantly.

The bridge is 1.4 km long and was the first bridge to connect Saadiyat Island and Yas Island to Abu Dhabi Island.

Saadiyat Island is home to several hotels and residential buildings. the Island is also where the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Louvre Abu Dhabi are situated. Yas, on the other hand, is all about Formula One Grand Prix, golf courses, theme parks, hotels and boutique shops.

5. Al Maqta Bridge

Al Maqta Bridge at Sunrise By Sa7er90 – Wikimedia

A shallow channel of water separated mainland Abu Dhabi from the Island with the same name. This obstructed trade between the two lands.  The Emiratis had to wait for the low tide to cross to either side on foot or a camel.

This bridge coined its name from this channel as the crossing point. It was constructed after the discovery of oil when a more sustainable connection to the mainland was necessary.

Maqtaa means narrow, the narrow channel that separated the island from the mainland. This bridge is 300-metres long and was one of the first landmarks that were constructed in 1967.

Maqta bridge is a steel arch bridge with four lanes. It offers the best views of the famous historic fort, Al Maqtaa. This bridge allowed the return to normalcy of the flow of water and the restoration of sea life.