Picture: Dubai Media Office
Doha, Qatar: The United Arab Emirates launched the tunnelling works for the Dubai Metro Blue Line project, spanning 30 kilometres and valued at AED 20.5bn.
The Ruler of Dubai and Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, gave the signal to start operating the tunnel boring machine, named 'Al Wugeisha', marking the launch of the project.
"10,000 employees and engineers racing against time and a budget of 20 billion dirhams to launch this line by 9-9-2029, in addition to another 34 billion for the Gold Line to complete the world's newest and most beautiful metro," stated the Dubai ruler in a social media post.
The 30-kilometre route will feature 14 station and serve nine districts with an estimated population of around one million, in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, the Dubai Media Office said.
Describing the tunnelling machine, the media office said, that it is 163 metres long, weighs more than 2,000 tonnes, and will operate around the clock, with an average excavation advance rate ranging from 13 to 17 metres per day.
