The State of Ceará in northern Brazil has appointed Acciona and Cetenco Engenharia to construct a new subway line in the World Cup host city of Fortaleza.
Announcing the R$2.3bn (US$1bn, €800m) contract to build the East Line (Line 3) of the Fortaleza Metro, Acciona described the project as ‘the largest public works project ever undertaken by the state of Ceará’.
Line 3 will stretch for 12.4 kilometres between Chico da Silva to Edson Queiroz.
The new metro line will connect Fortaleza’s West and South lines and has been designed to relieve traffic congestion in the city.
The contract includes assembly of four tunnel boring machines (TBM) which have already been purchased from The Robbins Company by the government of Ceará.
Two TBMs have already arrived in the city ahead of the start of tunnelling work next year.
Fortaleza, like many major cities around the country, is investing heavily in new rail infrastructure to meet not only the demand expected from the Olympics and World Cup but the general need for greater capacity on Brazil’s public transport networks.
