Metro Line 6, Rushed by UEFA: Airport Connection Required in Two Years
Metro Line 6 could be the first infrastructure project that will not be delayed. At least not from now on, because UEFA is forcing us to complete this project by 2020 if we want the plan for our country to host four matches of the 2020 European Championship to remain valid. Consequently, the construction tender is expected to take place next month, while execution contracts should be signed in the last quarter of this year. Currently, the documents are being carefully analyzed by Japanese partners, who are interested in financing the works.
Metro Line 6 will connect Bucharest from the 1 Mai area to Otopeni, featuring 12 stations and a length of 14.2 km. The project is urgent, given the agreement made with UEFA. Therefore, Romanian officials met today with the official economic delegation from Japan and discussed this aspect. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation has already announced the financing of construction works with approximately 330 million euros.
“We hope to make as much progress as possible during 2018. We are looking forward with great interest to the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s viewpoint on the tender documentation, so that we can effectively start the tender in February and be able to sign the execution contracts in October,” stated Vice-Prime Minister Paul Stanescu.
Under these conditions, time seems to be running against Romania’s plan to host four matches of the 2020 European Championship. According to UEFA, Romania cannot host these matches if it does not have a metro line to the airport. This would leave just over a year for the project’s completion, which sounds like a utopia. However, representatives of the Ministry of Transport are optimistic and say the project will be ready on time. Nevertheless, specialists say that, in realistic terms, Line 6 cannot be completed earlier than 2022, and that is if everything goes well. In any case, even if they fail to finish the project on time, a little haste cannot hurt a project that has been under discussion since 2007. At that time, Line 6 had 21 stations and was supposed to be completed in 2014. Meanwhile, conditions are constantly changing. In the final days of last year, officials announced that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development would finance the project’s implementation with 300 million euros. Another issue is the expropriations of Baneasa Investments, which are under DNA seizure. The project is included in the Bucharest-Ilfov Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan and has an estimated cost of 1.3 billion euros.
Source: Imopedia/Media
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline for the Metro Line 6 project?
UEFA requires the project to be completed by 2020 for Romania to host Euro 2020 matches, though experts estimate a realistic completion date of 2022.
How long is the new metro line and how many stations will it have?
The line will be 14.2 km long and will include 12 stations, connecting the 1 Mai area in Bucharest to Otopeni Airport.
Who is financing the construction of Metro Line 6?
The project is funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (approx. €330 million), the EBRD (€300 million), and other sources, with a total cost of €1.3 billion.