Riyadh Metro tunnelling work ‘to start in April’
Assembly of tunnel-boring machine to be used in $22.5bn rail project is expected to take two months
The digging of tunnels for Riyadh’s $22.5 billion metro project is expected to start in two months, according to media reports.
Parts for a tunnel-boring machine (TBM) from Germany, which will be used for the work, have arrived in Saudi Arabia and its assembly is expected to be completed by April, Arab News reported.
“The spare parts of the TBM have arrived. Assembling the TBM takes two months,” the newspaper quoted an unnamed source, from a company that works for the Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA), as saying
IN PICTURES: The $22.5bn Riyadh Metro project
A manhole 30 metres deep has already been dug in preparation for work building the underground tunnels.
The metro’s six lines will cover 176 kilometers, supported by a bus network of 1,150 kilometers.
Some have raised concerns about the impact of the construction work on motorists and local businesses who may have lost customers due to the project, Arab News reported.
