[Slugbelch]

Gateway Bridge opens on The Palm Jumeirah
A major milestone has been reached in the progress of The Palm Jumeirah this week with the opening of the Gateway Bridge for construction traffic.


The Gateway Bridge, which has taken two years to construct, will connect The Palm Jumeirah to the Sufouh Interchange leading to Sheikh Zayed Road. The North Bridge and South Bridge are five lanes each, with each direction spanning 360m in length and 26m across.

The Gateway Bridge will allow easy access to the island for potentially 40,000 workers and 5,000 vehicles each day during the final stages of construction of Phase A and is a significant step forward in the preparation for handover which commences at the end of this year. The first stage of construction includes approximately 1,400 villas on 11 of the fronds of the island and 2,500 Shoreline Apartments within the 20 buildings located on the East side of the trunk.

The bridge will ultimately provide a state-of-the-art transport artery that will service the island's many residential and commercial facilities. The design was conceptualised by world renowned architectural group H2L2.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman Nakheel, said:
'The Gateway Bridge creates a magnificent and imposing entrance to The Palm Jumeirah - a stunning landmark that is entirely fitting for the eighth wonder of the world. The opening of the bridge will also allow quick and efficient access to the island and as we move towards completion of the first stage of construction this will enhance the rate of progress even further."

'The Palm Jumeirah is fast becoming a reality and soon our first residents will be living the eighth wonder of the world; however, there is still a great deal of work to be done and over the next 2 to 3 years we will continue to make exciting announcements and reach further milestones until The Palm Jumeirah has become established as one of the world's premier destinations.'