ABU DHABI // A traffic black spot created by construction on Salam Street is causing congestion and up to two car crashes a day.
Since work at the spot began about a month ago, Hatham Rashid, the manager at Al Masaood Marine, said he had watched through the window of his showroom as cars outside swerved to avoid accidents at the new traffic signal, which is between Hazaa bin Zayed and Al Falah streets leading out of the capital.
"Every day I hear the braking," he said.
"Squeals from panicked stops fill the showroom about a dozen times a day. There are at least one or two accidents a day, usually in the afternoon."
A signal was installed at the site to accommodate a U-turn to Salam Street towards the Maqta Bridge.
The inside lane ends with little warning and four lanes narrow to three, forcing drivers to swerve into the middle lane.
The detour has been caused by an underground electrical cable that needed to be moved, said Atef Garib, a traffic and transport expert at Abu Dhabi Municipality. This forced the municipality to reduce the size of the road, he said.
"We tried our best to provide four lanes, but we could not," Mr Garib said.
In the meantime, a crew of workers was collecting traffic information that would be analysed to improve traffic flow.
Mr Garib encouraged motorists to use caution when travelling through the construction area.
The cable would be relocated within two months, he said.
Mr Rashid said most of the accidents were minor, but some were more serious.
Last week, he saw an SUV crash into a car from behind, flipping the vehicle of an Emirati woman who was eight months' pregnant.
"I have training in emergency first response, so I ran out there and brought them water," he said. "I saw her husband running out. It was awful."
The woman was taken to hospital. Mr Rashid later called and was told that both the woman and her unborn child were well.
He said the combination of speed and poor signage may prove deadly. "Every day I drive by and I'm scared of that spot," he said. "Just today they seem to have widened the road, so hopefully it will be much better."
The construction on Salam Street is part of a plan to develop a 2.2km, eight-lane tunnel that will serve Reem, Suwa and Saadiyat islands and the Mina area east of Abu Dhabi.
The municipality is conducting the work, which will also include 1.2km of roads leading to and from the tunnel.
Construction started in April and is expected to continue until 2011.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
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