The development of the capital of Romania, Bucharest, is based on five directions: territorial, productive, operational, sustainable and city management. The profile of the city development also takes into account, besides the economic requirements, the number of inhabitants which at the present moment reaches 2 million and is estimated to exceed 2.5 million in 2030.
These criteria clearly determine the public transport development, but “we must be very careful about what a city needs under the circumstance of the mobility demand. Urban development and public transport axes organisation must happen where the demand really exists”, declared Lamila Rouleau-Tiraoui, Architect and Project Manager of the Development strategy for Nantes (France), city which obtained the title of European Green Capital (2013).
“With no public transport, the activity would not exist at all levels. The transport with all its means is a defining element for the development of Bucharest. In this field, the projects must be initiated as soon as possible”, declared Mircea Enache, Dr. Architect, specialist in urbanism.
For the efficiency of the transport and implicitly for decongesting the traffic in Bucharest, the best option is the development of underground transport lines. This is the reason for launching Metrorex strategy: until 2030, the underground network line will account for 140 km and 60 new stations will be built. All underground development projects need investments of EUR 8.5 Billion. Besides the construction of three underground lines (M5, M6, M7), Metrorex plans to accomplish 9 additional extensions, many of them being extensions of the existing lines.
For M5 connecting Drumul Taberei to Pantelimon (line of 9 km), the works have already started.
„ In a first stage, works will be executed on the structure of the underground stations and tunnels for Drumul Taberei – Eroilor section. We estimate that this section will be placed into service with passengers in 2014-2015”, declared the General Manager of Metrorex, Gheorghe Udrişte.
Likewise, for Eroilor-Iancului line section, part of M5, Metrorex elaborated the tender books and the tender will be launched in the IVth quarter of 2011.
The year 2012 will be important for the development of the underground network, since the tenders will be launched for the construction of two lines. It is the line connecting the capital to Henri Coandă International Airport and the Underground line 7 (Alexandriei–Voluntari). “We have consulted the short list with six consultants that would develop the technical project, the tender books and supervise works. In the second part of next year we hope to launch the tender for structure works and later on the tenders for equipments, trains and systems”, declared the General Manager of Metrorex.
The value of the project amounts to approximately EUR 1.2 Billion and the financing is granted by the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation by EUR 300 Million, the rest of the amount being ensured from the state budget. The project will be inaugurated in 2017.
Another project to be developed is the Underground line 7, as “in 2012 we will elaborate the necessary documentation for the project implementation. The underground line will ensure a link on the south-west – north-east axis, between the central area and Rahova and Colentina districts” indicated Anca Boagiu, Minister of Transport. The section is 21 km long and will probably have 31 stations and 1 depot. The works on this section will take around 7-8 years.
Share on:
