If you've ever been stuck crawling along Mussafah Road in Abu Dhabi, some relief is on the way. The emirate's Department of Municipalities and Transport has announced a substantial upgrade to the corridor, covering 13km along the E30 and 8th Street, with the aim of cutting congestion, improving safety and shaving real time off commutes.

The works are bundled into two strategic projects, stretching from the Haddars to Nuof intersection on the E11 — a span of 37km — through to new tunnels, roads and intersections in the Haddars area. Once finished, the plan promises direct interchanges and smoother links between key districts across Abu Dhabi.

The centrepiece is a new free-flowing highway along 8th Street with three lanes in each direction, plus three further lanes on both sides to serve local shops and amenities separately from through-traffic. Capacity is expected to reach around 4,000 vehicles. Beyond that, four interchanges along the E30 will be upgraded, connections between 8th Street and the E20 improved, and nine key junctions modified. Two new bridges will link Mussafah with Mohamed Bin Zayed City, alongside an extra pedestrian bridge.

It's part of a broader push to knit Abu Dhabi together. Other planned projects include a two-tunnel undersea link running from the eastern tip of Abu Dhabi Island to Mussafah, passing beneath the Khor Al Maqta and the Al Hudayriyat Island channel.

For travellers, this matters more than it might first appear. Mussafah is a major industrial district, and its roads carry a big share of the traffic moving between Abu Dhabi Island, the mainland and neighbourhoods like Mohamed Bin Zayed City. Anyone driving to or from the airport, heading to mosques-and-malls districts off the tourist trail, or making day trips to Al Hudayriyat's beaches and cycling tracks will feel the difference once junctions flow properly and the new bridges open. Shorter, more predictable drive times also make it easier to base yourself in less expensive areas of the city while still reaching Saadiyat's museums and Corniche in reasonable time. No completion date has been given yet, so factor in possible roadworks if you're driving in the area in the meantime — expect diversions and temporary slowdowns around active construction zones.

The announcement was shared by the DMT on X and picked up by What's On Dubai.