Dubai approves 15km metro expansion for Expo 2020
Discovery Gardens, Dubai Investment Park, and Furjan among communities to be served by Red Line extension
The Dubai Metro is set to undergo an expansion, which will see the Red Line extended by 15km from the Nakheel Harbour and Tower station to the Expo 2020 site.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, has endorsed the Masar 2020 Project, which will see seven new stations added to the Red Line, the state news agency WAM reported.
The Dubai ruler directed that construction should start immediately and be completed on a fixed timeline to serve the anticipated population growth in the run-up to the Expo. The project is expected to be released for tendering next July.
RTA Chairman Mattar Al Tayer said the expansion of the metro is in line with Dubai’s vision for sustainable development, and will help ease congestion and traffic snarls in densely populated neighbourhoods. The 15km extension, out of which 11km will be elevated and the rest below ground, will include five elevated and two underground stations.
“The project serves [areas] with average-to-high population density such as the Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Furjan, Jumeirah Golf Estate, and the Dubai Investment Park. These communities are inhabited by about 240,000 persons,” Al Tayer noted.
Once the extension is complete, the journey from the Dubai Marina area to the Expo site will take 16 minutes, the chairman added.
The new route will bring the total network of the Dubai Metro to a length of 90km, while the city’s entire rail network, comprising the Dubai Tram as well, will be 101km long.
The Masar 2020 project will also ensure various Dubai districts are linked with the Maktoum International Airport, Al Tayer said.
The RTA will hold a workshop this month on various aspects of the new project for consultants and contractors with rail expertise, WAM reported.
