QDVC wins $535m for Qatar rail plan

QDVC, a joint venture between Qatari Diar and Vinci Construction Grands Projets, said on Wednesday it has won a $535m contract connected to the proposed light rail transit (LRT) system project in Lusail, Qatar. The new design-build contract, worth 374 million euros, covers civil engineering works in eight underground stations, the construction of a viaduct over the motorway between Doha and the northern part of the country, and preliminary works on an LRT depot and maintenance workshop. The works are expected to take 38 months to complete, Vinci said in a statement. The company said the award of this new phase "attests to the excellence of the works done by QDVC in the previous phases". QDVC has previously carried out work on earthworks and civil engineering works in the cut-and-cover tunnels and ventilation shafts. The new city of Lusail will stretch over 37 sq km of waterfront. Organised into 19 mixed-use districts, it will eventually accommodate 200,000 residents and as many daily workers and visitors. The light rail system will serve the entire new city and will interconnect with the regional transport network. The full Lusail LRT project - four lines totalling 30km, eight underground stations and 25 stations - is being built in several engineering study and construction phases. The design phase was launched in August 2007, followed by earthworks and excavations for cut-and-cover tunnels in March 2009, tunnel construction in March 2010, and preparation of underground station construction in June 2011. The next and final phase of the works will include rolling stock and systems. Handover of the project is set for 2016. From / Arabian Business News