Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has completed all the major tunnelling works related to the Route 2020 Project, stretching 3.2 km at a depth ranging from 12 to 36 m, said a top official.

“The tunnel-drilling works commenced last October as the giant tunnel boring machine, ‘Al Wugeisha Expo 2020’, started off at Discovery Gardens and reached the underground station nearby Jumeirah Golf Estates, last February,” remarked Mattar Al Tayer, the director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the RTA. “The drilling works then continued past the Dubai Investment Park, and up to the final point at the Green Community.”

“Al Wugesha is also environment-friendly and has no negative effects on land layers nearby the drilling area. Moreover, the tunnels it produces have symmetrical dimensions, which facilitates construction works and reduces the expenses of tunnel wall installation,” he added.

Al Tayer expressed his delight with the progress of Route 2020 Project according to the schedule.

Works on the metro viaducts are set for completion in November this year, and all railway works of the project will be accomplished in July 2019. The trial run of the metro will start in February 2020.