Limitless, a Dubai World company and real estate master developer, has announced the opening of a new road linking Sheikh Zayed Road (SZR) directly with The Galleries, its flagship community project in Downtown Jebel Ali.

The Galleries located in zone one of Downtown Jebel Ali, is an eight-building mix of A-grade offices, apartments, retail and leisure facilities. It is set in 20,000 sq m of landscaped grounds which were officially opened in April and is a 45 minute-drive from Abu Dhabi.

The newly-opened slip road allows motorists on SZR's northbound (Dubai-bound) carriageway to drive straight into The Galleries, saving time and fuel, and cutting congestion on Dubai’s main highway, said a senior official.

The link is part of a major new junction on SZR – Interchange 8 – that will serve Downtown Jebel Ali and the Jebel Ali Free Zone when it is fully operational. Interchange 8 will open in summer, according to the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). 

Salah Ameen, executive director for Limitless in the Middle East, said: 'We welcome the opening of the northbound slip road, which means shorter journeys, lower fuel consumption and, most importantly, more convenience for our tenants and visitors.'

'These benefits will be further enhanced when Interchange 8 is fully operational, as southbound traffic will also have direct access to and from The Galleries. We look forward to the RTA’s opening of the entire junction – and the Metro station serving Downtown Jebel Ali and Jafza – as soon as possible,' he added.

Meanwhile, Downtown Jebel Ali’s interior road network is also taking shape as Limitless continues its infrastructure delivery. 'More than 1.5 km of tarmac is already laid, representing 20 per cent of the eight kilometre route network in zone one,'  Salah Ameen said. 

“As master developer of Downtown Jebel Ali, we have sufficiently completed deep services infrastructure to allow third party developments to begin. Now we are laying the roads, streets and pavements that will connect The Galleries with other districts and buildings,” he added.

The current office tenants at the Galleries include L’Oreal, Ericsson, Kraft Foods, Standard Chartered Bank, SPX Corporation, Permasteelisa Gartner and Capitalstone.

Retailers and restaurants already operating or at fit-out stage include Citibank, Blom Bank France, Diamond Lease, Appetite, Subway, Oregano, Mushmaool restaurant and Fresh Plus convenience store.-TradeArabia News Service