Dubai: Construction work on Route 2020 is scheduled to begin early next year as the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) kick-starts the formalities to select the contractor for the mega project.
More than 100 international contractors have shown interest in bagging the construction contract of the Route 2020 Metro line, which is a 15km extension of the Red Line from the Nakheel Harbour and Tower station to the Expo 2020 site, the RTA has announced.
The prequalification and selection process for the contractors begins from May 31, with the construction work set to begin early next year.
The RTA announced the timeline of the bidding and selection process of the contract during a presentation of the project it organised recently, which was attended by more than 300 executives representing 100 firms from 34 countries.
The gathering included suppliers of trains, rail communication systems and technology firms as well as ambassadors and consuls of eight countries.
Making the presentation, Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, said that the contractual procedures for the construction of the project were conducted in all transparency.
“The RTA will start receiving Requests for Pre-Qualification from May 3 this year, and the shortlist of consortiums qualified to undertake the project will be selected on June 30 this year. On July 2, the RTA will release the tender documents and on December 6 the RTA will start receiving proposals,” said Mattar Al Tayer, announcing the timeline of the bidding process.
He added that on January 28, 2016 the RTA will announce the consortium winning the project construction.
“Construction work on Route 2020 project will start once the contract is awarded in the first quarter of 2016, and the project is set to be completed in the first quarter of 2020 and will be up and running to serve visitors of Expo 2020,” he said.
The‘Route 2020 project, which stretches about 15km and covers seven stations, was approved by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, last month.
The Route 2020 will run elevated for 11km, while 4km will be underground, including five elevated stations and two underground stations.
Three more stations are planned to be constructed later, to serve Al Maktoum International Airport.
The new line passes through several densely populated districts such as the Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Furjan, Jumeirah Golf Estate, and Dubai Investment Park, which are inhabited by about 240,000 people.
