The construction of the US $1.5bn Alexandria metro
underground system in Egypt will begin in October this year, according to Abdul
Aziz Qansua, the Governor of Alexandria; approximately more than 20 years since
the conception of the idea.
The project will be executed by a Chinese company,
and according to Abdul Aziz, an important step preceding the signing of the
contract, the finalisation of the project’s designs, has already been done and
reviewed.
“What remains now is to lay down the foundation
stone for this new and most anticipated underground transport system which is
projected to ease traffic congestion in the streets of Egypt’s second largest
city,” stated the governor.
Upon completion, the Metro will run from Alexandria
city’s innermost eastern point at Abu Qir to Borg Al Arab in the west, passing
by the city’s most important and populated stations, with a holding capacity of
10,000 to 15,000 commuters an hour.
Currently, Egypt’s metro system is the only one
operating within the capital and it transports around 3 million people every
day.
It stands as one of the country’s most used and
affordable means of public transportation. It is also one of the oldest train
systems in the Middle East and Africa.
The city already has an existing tram system which
will complement the metro system in the effort to make Alexandria a traffic-free
urban centre. The tram system includes micro-buses and buses.
The city is also planning to introduce electric buses which underwent an experimental phase for three months in November 2018. The buses are considered pivotal to the Alexandria Passenger Transportation Authority’s (APTA) vision to make Alexandria a green and eco-friendly city by the year 2030.https://constructionreviewonline.com/2019/09/construction-of-alexandria-metro-in-egypt-to-begin-next-month/
