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US-based engineering firm Aecom has won a design contract for the Route 2020 extension, which will start from the Expo 2020 metro station and connect with Al-Maktoum International airport’s West Terminal.

Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) awarded the contract.

The extension will run about 3 kilometres (km) and include two stations.

MEED understands the invitation to bid was issued in January, with a submission deadline in mid-March.

The existing Route 2020 metro link is a 15km-long line that branches off the Red Line at Jebel Ali metro station. The line comprises 11.8km of elevated tracks and 3.2km of tunnels, and has five elevated stations and two underground stations.

The RTA awarded the AED10.6bn ($2.9bn) design-and-build contract for the project to a consortium of Spain’s Acciona, Turkiye’s Gulermak and France’s Alstom in 2016.

The RTA also selected Aecom to provide consultancy services for the upcoming Dubai Metro Gold Line project, in October last year, as MEED reported.

The Gold Line will start at Al-Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai and end at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

It will connect to Dubai Metro’s existing Red and Green lines and integrate with the Etihad Rail passenger line.