Timetable in place for Abu Dhabi transport plan

The Abu Dhabi metro project will open up lucrative contracting opportunities.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Transport (DoT) has revealed a provisional timetable by which its surface transport master plan will be implemented.

Under the timetable, the main construction contract for the city’s 131km metro system will be tendered in 2011. As the DoT revealed at the start of this month, feasibility study proposals for the metro system are being accepted until May 30.

Talking to Construction Week at Cityscape Abu Dhabi yesterday, a DoT spokesperson said the feasibility study should take around two years to complete.

“This may sound like a long time, but the study will cover such aspects as whether to go below ground, which is tremendously expensive, or above ground,” he said.

Once the feasibility study has been completed, the DoT will begin the process of inviting bids for the lucrative main construction contract.

It is not yet clear how the contract will be structured or what the value will be.

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FEATURED COMMENT Sir, It indicates that the planning is for surface transport. The planning for 2015 includes partly tram way & Partially   1 Comments Read more comments »

By comparison, the contract for construction of the Red and Green Lines of Dubai Metro, which have a combined length of 74km, was valued at  US $4.2 billion (AED15.5 billion) when it was awarded in 2005.

The full Abu Dhabi surface transport master plan includes the metro and 341km of tram lines, high-speed regional trains including a link to Dubai, an improved bus network, and ferries.

According to the spokesperson, the timetable for implementation will progress as follows:

2015 – Two light rail lines and two metro lines, as well as the introduction of the ferry system.

2020 – The whole tram system will be taking shape, and the second phase of the metro, which will pass through the newly-launched Capital City District, will be complete. Major highway upgrades will also have taken place.

2025 – Completion of tram works, another metro line, and the regional rail link to Dubai.

2030 – Full light and regional rail system in place, full metro system operational and highway system upgrades complete.