Dywidag will take a 51 per cent share in a joint venture with two local companies - Cosiderand Infrafel- and assume responsibility for all aspects of construction planning for the project, which involves the drilling of a tunnel 3.4 kilometres long with a diameter of 8.9 metres. The consortium will also be required to build four underground stations along the tunnel route between Hamma and Hai el-Badr.

A French consortium of Systraand SGTE will undertake the engineering and construction supervision for the section, which will take 30 months to complete. Construction work is scheduled to begin in September. A tender for the equipment supply contract is expected to be launched in 2004.

Plans for an underground transit system in the capital were first unveiled by the government in the early 1980s, and a number of surveys into the intended network were undertaken, including several by Systra's predecessor Sofretu. The 1990s saw the start of construction by Cosider and another local firm, Genie-Sider, on the eastern section between Tafourah Grande Poste station and Hamma. The work resulted in the partial completion of 4.5 kilometres of tunnel and five stations on the first line, which will eventually run along the seafront from the depot at Hai el-Badr to Bab el-Ouad and then inland to Ouad Koriche. The first stage of the line is expected to start operating in 2008 (MEED 26:7:96).

Original plans for the metro envisaged an eventual network of three lines and at least 50 stations. In addition to the Ouad Koriche-Hai el-Badr line, a second line would stretch south linking the Grande Poste with the Annassers plateau, Badjarah, El-Harrach and Bab Ezzouar. The third line would link Hussein Dey and Ain Allah via the Annassers.