news
Abu Dhabi Expands E20 Highway, Launches Darb Tolls, Rolls Out Walk-In Vaccines
Infrastructure upgrades and expanded health access mark the latest steps in managing growth across the capital.
How we reported this
Abu Dhabi has widened the E20 highway through Khalifa City to five lanes and added four new bridges as part of efforts to reduce congestion on a key commuter route.
These changes build on years of steady population growth and new residential zones that have increased daily traffic volumes on routes linking Khalifa City to central Abu Dhabi. Officials have tracked rising delays during peak hours, prompting the current round of lane additions and bridge work to keep vehicles moving more steadily.
Infrastructure Updates Reach Multiple Routes
The Department of Transport has also activated the Darb electronic toll system on the Sheikh Khalifa Bridge, Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Al Maqta Bridge and Mussaffah Bridge. Drivers now pass through gantries that record usage without stopping, replacing older payment methods on these crossings. At the same time a new central control room opened to oversee the expanding fleet of autonomous vehicles operating in the emirate, allowing staff to monitor routes and respond to any operational issues in real time.
These projects sit alongside each other because they address different parts of the same mobility challenge: more people and more vehicles using the same road network every day. The toll system aims to spread demand across the day while the control room supports the gradual introduction of driverless services on selected corridors.
Health Access and Daily Conditions
Alongside the road works, the Department of Health Abu Dhabi now allows walk-in appointments for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at its facilities. Citizens and residents no longer need to book ahead, a shift intended to remove barriers for those who have not yet received the shot. Light to moderate rainfall is also forecast across several days, which could affect driving conditions on newly tolled bridges and the expanded E20 section.
Residents can visit any Department of Health Abu Dhabi site during operating hours to receive the vaccine on the spot. Motorists should allow extra travel time while the Darb gantries settle into routine use and check weather updates before crossing the affected bridges during the rainy period.