Metro Red Line South

This infrastructure is a first for a country that has had, until now, only a bus network for a public transit system. Construction of this metro line is part of a vast development project in Qatar. VINCI Construction Grands Projets, through its local subsidiary QDVC, was mandated to design and build a 13.8-kilometre dual-tube underground rail line. The structure will connect Doha Airport to the district of Msheireb, the historic centre of the Qatari capital. The project also includes design and construction for five underground stations, 32 safety intert-tube connections, and five emergency evacuation shafts. This five-year project mobilises a workforce of up to 3,000 people.

BACKGROUND

Doha, Qatar’s capital and largest city, is home to nearly half of the country’s population. It has experienced soaring growth, both economically and demographically. From 2004 to 2006, its population grew by more than 30,000, triggering a property boom and the development of outlying cities. Congestion due to back-and-forth traffic has become a daily reality in Doha; accordingly, the development of a public rail-transit system has become a necessary solution – a solution that is also modern, reliable, and environmentally friendly.

TECHNICAL OVERVIEW

The route of the future metro line never strays too far from the coastline. As a result, one of the challenges in this project is to manage water inflow during excavation operations. Five earth-pressure balance TBMs with an external diameter of more than seven metres were in operation concurrently – a first for VINCI since the tunnel-boring activities under the English Channel. Once pumping operations were in place (76,000 m3/day), work was carried out in dry conditions. As in much of Qatar, the ground in Doha is extremely homogeneous. Our soil control methods combined with our monitoring system allowed us to progress by 18 to 20 metres a day on average.
Work is being carried out with minimal impact on road traffic, which is heavy in this part of the city. In addition, the environmental impact is also minimised thanks to the implementation of noise-attenuation barriers, dust-emission controls, and the careful monitoring of discharge water quality.

The project, which will require five years to complete, is mobilising up to 5,000 employees. This metro-construction project is part of a global development program for the city that will enable it to host the World Cup of Football in 2022.

IMPACT

The Red Line is one of four future metro lines in Doha. It is part of the Qatar Rail Development Program, which aims to develop the country’s transport infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup of Football. The program calls for the construction of a network 211.9 kilometres long that includes stations at 2 to 3-kilometre intervals on average.
Construction of the Doha metro was officially launched with an inauguration ceremony held at the site of the Msheireb station, which will be a hub for the metro and rail networks. This project is part of a long-term partnership with Qatar to develop rail infrastructure as our subsidiary QDVC has also been mandated to build one of the most advanced urban transit systems in the world, namely, the light rail transit (LRT) network in Lusail.

Project participants

Client
Qatar Rail

Project management
Qatar Rail

Key figures

Implementation dates
June 2013 to May 2019

Excavation
3.3 million m3

Tunnels
1.2 million m3

Concrete
600,000 m3

Testimonial

“To limit the impact on the neighbourhood, noise-attenuation barriers were erected and dust emissions were controlled. Weekly tests were also carried out by an external laboratory to assess the quality of the water discharged into the environment.”

Michel Bernard, PROJECT DIRECTOR

Find out more

Our subsidiary’s web site: qdvc.com

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