Metro project gets ready to roll

20 May 2005
The government announced on 18 May that it was planning to build a metro system covering Kuwait City in an attempt to alleviate growing traffic congestion. Speaking at MEED's 2nd Major New Project Opportunities in Kuwait conference, Abdullateef al-Dakheel, assistant under-secretary for roads and sanitary engineering at the Ministry of Public Works (MPW), said that a consultant would be appointed soon to carry out a full feasibility study into the project, which will be implemented in three phases.

The planned KD 500 million ($1,725 million) first phase will involve the construction of a U-shaped line running from Salwa through the centre of Kuwait City to Ardiya. 'We are looking at a combination of underground and elevated sections,' said Al-Dakheel. 'We have still to decide whether the project will be undertaken on a BOT [build-operate-transfer] basis or be conventionally financed.' The US' Parsons Brinckerhoffhas completed a pre-feasibility study for the project.

The government is understood to be considering the formation of a new railway authority to oversee the metro as well as the Kuwaiti section of the proposed GCC rail network.

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