The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, RTA, announced that the construction progress rate of the entire Route 2020 Project, which is the extension of the Red Line of Dubai Metro to Expo 2020 site, has reached 70 percent.

The line extends 15km from Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station (11.8km of elevated track, and 3.2km of the underground track). The completion rate had hit 80 percent on the rail track work and 50 -60 percent for the station works of Route 2020 Project.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, revealed these details during an inspection tour to several stations including Expo, Al Furjan and Nakheel Harbour and Tower Stations. He attended a briefing by AbdulMohsin Ibrahim Younes, CEO of Rail Agency, and Abdul Redha Abu Al Hasan, Executive Director of Rail Planning and Projects Development. Viaduct construction work had been completed spanning 11.8km.

Al Tayer inspected the progress of the Expo Station – one of the key stations of the project. It will handle millions of visitors as it is the main link to the Expo site. The station has been meticulously designed to ensure accessibility and smooth operations at all times. The multi-level structure of the station comprises a ground floor, mezzanine, concourse, and a train platform level. It will serve Expo 2020 site and the surroundings as it extends from Expo Village and Expo Mall to the West, and to Expo Yard towards the East.

The central corridor at the concourse level links pedestrian movement between the two sides of the station. It has been designed to handle the expected number of riders during the period of Expo 2020. The station has a capacity of 522,000 passengers per day in both directions, at a rate of 29,000 passengers per hour per direction.

The completion rate of the Expo Station has exceeded 50 percent, and more than 90 percent of the metal structures of the station has been installed. Work is up-and-running on the installation of the winged metal structure of the station, and more than 30 percent of electromechanical works have been completed.

Al Tayer inspected the progress of work at Al Furjan station, where external cladding works have been completed. The contractor has finished the installation of the metal structure and roof cladding, and the completion rate has reached nearly 57 percent and while the progress on electromechanical works has reached 25 percent. The company has started works on architectural finishing works of the station’s lobby.

Al Tayer also inspected work progress of Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station – a transfer station between Dubai Metro Red Line and Route 2020. It has a design typical to the design of the existing metro stations to maintain the identity and appearance of stations on Sheikh Zayed Road. The construction completion rate of the station has exceeded 50 percent, and the contractor has completed the installation of the metal structure and is working on the roof cladding. Preparations are underway for the installation of the footbridge linking the station with the parking area.

The new metro carriages have been arriving in Dubai since August 2018, and the construction of viaducts was completed in November last year. All rail works of Route 2020 are scheduled for completion by May 2019. RTA will start the test-run of the metro in February 2020.