Bechtel-led consortium begins tunnelling for Riyadh Metro project
The six-line Riyadh Metro network, which will be 176km long, is forecast to serve 400,000 passengers when complete
A consortium led by American engineering and construction firm Bechtel has begun tunnelling work for Line 1 of the Riyadh Metro in Saudi Arabia, the company said in a statement.
The announcement marks a milestone in the construction of the six-line Riyadh Metro, set to be the Kingdom’s first underground rail system and one of the largest in the world.
The consortium led by Bechtel includes Saudi Arabia-based Almabani General Contractors, Consolidated Contractors Company, and Germany’s Siemens AG. Together, the firms are working on the $10 billion contract for design, construction, train cars, signalling, electrification and integration of Lines 1 and 2 of the Riyadh Metro.
IN PICTURES: Riyadh’s $22.5bn metro system
READ MORE: Infrastructure Middle East magazine
The work includes 39 stations, two of which will be key interchange stations: Olaya Station, situated in the centre of Riyadh at the intersection of Lines 1 and 2, and King Abdullah Financial District Station, located slightly to the north on Line 1.
According to Amjad Bangash, Bechtel’s director on the project, the Riyadh Metro will “revolutionise” how people move around the Saudi capital.
“Sending our team’s first tunnel-boring machine on its underground voyage is a significant step for all,” he said.
The first TBM will steadily ramp up to its planned average tunnelling rate of about 100 metres per week and is expected to complete its journey by mid-2016. A total of seven TBMs will be deployed to dig and construct more than 35km of tunnels.
However, carrying out tunnelling work beneath the streets of Riyadh will prove to be challenging, Bangash noted. “Getting early agreement on the alignment in the heart of the city was crucial to advance the detailed design work needed to start tunnelling. We appreciate the efforts that our client, Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA), and many other stakeholders undertook in helping us achieve this.”
Riyadh, one of the world’s fastest-growing cities, is forecast to see its population increase by 50% to 7.5 million by 2035. The upcoming metro project is part of a 25-year plan by the High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh to cater to this growth. When complete, the 176km driverless network will serve 400,000 passengers.
IN PICTURES: Riyadh’s $22.5bn metro system
READ MORE: Infrastructure Middle East magazine
