Italian construction firm Salini Impregilo has completed the tunnel excavation work along Line 3 of Riyadh Metro in Saudi Arabia.

The project has been commissioned by the ArRiyadh Development Authority (ADA).

Line 3, also known as the Orange Line, will measure over 40km in length, of which about 11km will be underground. The tunnel has been excavated by a TBM and the “cut and cover” method.

Upon completion, the project will feature 22 stations.

Riyadh governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud attended a celebratory event at the Qasr Al Hoqm Downtown Station, which will have two underground metro lines passing through it. The 20,000 sq m station was designed by the Norwegian design firm Snøhetta along with One Works and Crew.

Salini Impregilo leads the ArRiyadh New Mobility (ANM) consortium, one of three consortiums involved in the $23bn, six-line Riyadh Metro project that will cover 176km.

According to the contractor, the metro system will reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in the city as population is expected to rise from 6.5M today to 8.3M by 2030.

* Data provided by Timetric's Construction Intelligence Center.

* Image courtesy of Salini Impregilo.