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Lulu Island Project             

Another wildlife sanctuary in Abu Dhabi is coming up on the skyline. This is on Lulu Island, which lies opposite the Corniche.

The project is being carried out by the Public Works Department. According to sources, the work is being carried out with great speed to turn it into a major wildlife sanctuary like Seer Banyas Island. ‘More than 25,000 date palms have been planted and about 30,000 more are likely to follow in the next two months’ said a source.

Thousands of birds of different species have already been moved to the island in addition to several herds of deer.

The animals are likely to be released on the island once the project is complete. Once com­pleted, colorful birds, wildlife and lush, green plants will like a fairy tale island, a dream-like green oasis in the middle of the sea, inhabit the sanctuary. The project includes man-made lakes and ponds, parks, recre­ational and entertainment facili­ties, and areas reflecting the tra­ditional lifestyle of the country.

Despite these additions, the project has been designed to make the island a natural wildlife sanctuary where the animals, which include deer and Oryx, live peacefully and breed without dis­turbance.

Corniche project

The Island plan will give a boost to the ongoing Abu Dhabi Corniche Expansion Project, which is being carried out at a cost of more than Dh700 million. The initial work on the Corniche  expansion,  which involves filling the seabed along the seven kilometre long seaside road, has been completed for the beautification work to begin. The work on the first stage of the project, involving dredging, reclamation and construction of roads, began late last year and is expected to be complete by the end of next year.

The mega project has been approved by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. It is being execut­ed in line with the commitment by Sheikh Khalifa to improve the quality of life, infrastructure, buildings and tourism facilities of Abu Dhabi to match the country's comprehensive development.

The 150 to 200 metres filling from Mina Zayed to Hiltonia Beach on the Corniche has been completed. The dredging was carried out by the National Marine Dredging Company on a subcon­tract offered by BM - a U.A.E.-Turkish joint venture for engineering and construction.

BM is carrying out the initial stage of the project. The Abu Dhabi Municipality awarded the contract to the joint venture. The entire project will include planting over one billion trees along the Corniche, flyovers, underpasses, expanded roads, advanced traffic signals, parks, shops, recreation facilities, foun­tains, heritage villages and muse­ums. When completed, the pro­ject will turn the Corniche into the Gulf region's 'Disneyland'. Several pedestrian underpasses and traffic tunnels will also be constructed. The project involves parking space for 4,000 cars on the Corniche, while a flyover will traverse the Gulf waters to give quick access to the Sheraton Hotel and nearby areas.

Plantation will give the project a natural touch, along with its recreational facilities and mod­em roads, parks and fountains, that will ensure the Corniche remains one of the country's high­lights for a long time to come.

Old landmarks

The project also includes the replacement of old landmarks, such as the famous Clock Tower. The 30-metre tower will be replaced with a 70-metre one, which will include shopping and recreation centres, museums, fountains and parks.

According to an earlier state­ment from Sheikh Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, the Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of the Municipality and Town Planning Department, the project will have everything to make it the hall­mark of the region.

"There will be a lot of green

Parks for families. There emphasis on greenery. We will have vast green areas including mountains, hills and valleys over there. We want it to become a beautiful landscape for artists and revellers," said the statement.

The next contract for the second stage of the project will be awarded in 2003 and it involves construction of shopping centres, recreation facilities, restaurants and mosques, rest houses and facilities. It could be completed in two years. The contract, according to industry sources, will be much bigger than the first. 

The overall project also involves the construction of a road linking Al Khaleej Al Arabi and the Eastern Ring Road with Port Zayed and  Saadiyat Island. The road is being constructed to keep goods trucks away from the centre in order to allow smooth traffic flow in the capital.

 

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