Infrastructure for Abu Dhabi F1 site complete: Yas Island to be the jewel in the F1 crown?

Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

The infrastructure for Yas Island, soon to be the home of the UAE's F1 racetrack, has been completed, keeping the project on schedule for Abu Dhabi's F1 race day.

Constructed on a sandy island to the east of the Abu Dhabi city centre, the Yas Marina Circuit project is its own unique metropolis. Over the course of its construction, it has housed 25,000 workers who have built not just the track, but luxurious five-star hotels, a 15-lane tunnel, highways and the world's first Ferrari theme park.

(Click image to enlarge)

That's not even mentioning Yas Island's stunning marina, a water park and state of the art sports facilities.

Currently, all building works have been completed in preparation for the Grand Prix race on 1 November. They just now need to be tested and commissioned.

Talal Al Dhiyebi, director of planning and infrastructure for Aldar Properties - the company behind the development said,

"People don't realise the amount of infrastructure that has been invested in this project because it is all behind the scenes."

"The networks will be able support all developments on the island and cater to future projects."

The landscape has been literally transformed to accommodate the track. The ground level has been raised 30 metres to cater for the start of the track, which then plunges down in to a 16,000-seat amphitheatre at the North Grandstand.

Nine bridges and one underpass have been built in Abu Dhabi to allow access to both sides of Yas Island, which is bisected by the dual five-lane Shahama-Saadiyat Freeway, which crosses the middle of Yas Island.

"We designed a tunnel, which goes underwater. This created a challenge because we not only had to complete it but make time to re-open the channel, to allow access to the marina, before race day," explained Dhiyebi.

With over US$1 billion spent on it, 25 million man-hours put in and 140,000 cubic metres of concrete utilised, The Yas Marina Circuit could be the grandest F1 track the sport has ever seen.

Designed by the man who created the Bahrain, Sepang and Valencia tracks, the Abu Dhabi circuit has a course that runs through a hotel, a pit lane that runs under the track, and boasts 20 turns.

Overall the circuit is designed to hold 50,000 spectators with every seat covered to offer protection from the sun or on a rare occasion, rain. Each seat will also offer a view of more than 30 percent of the track. It is so vast that circuit operators plan to use it as an open-air concert venue at other times of the year.

Aldar Properties are due to begin work on Ferrari World, which they expect to be completed by mid-2010.

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