The French-Egyptian alliance, which is implementing the third phase of the metro’s third line, announced that the project will take 15 years to complete and will be concluded in 2030.
The third phase of the metro’s third line extends 17km between al-Ataba area and Cairo University.
Transport Minister Saad el-Geyoushi objected to the long duration of the project while signing the contract with the alliance and called for reducing the project's time span by half.
The project needs to be concluded quickly due to the steady increase in the number of passengers and to ease the pressure of traffic in Cairo, according to the minister.
The first and second stages of the third line, 10 km long, were implemented in almost eight years, he added.
The project costs LE4.3 billion, according to Geyoushi.
The curent agreement stipulated that the project should be implemented in three stages: the first is 55 months, the second 65 months and the third 74 months.
The minister said the alliance will revise the timespan of the project.
The third phase of the third metro line will include 15 stations along 17.7 km and will be implemented in three stages, said Major General Tareq Gamal Eddin, chairman of the National Authority for Tunnels.
The first stage will be 4 km long, extending from al-Ataba area to Kit Kat area, and will include four stations: Nasser, Maspero, Zamalek and Kit Kat, said Gamal Eddin.
The second stage will be 6.6 km long and will include six stops: Sudan, Imbaba, al-Boahy, al-Qawmeya al-Arabiya and the Ring Road stations.
The third stage will be 7.1 km long and will include five stations: Tawfiqiya, Wadi al-Nil, Gam'et al-Dowal, Bulaq al-Dakrur and Cairo University satations.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
