Dubai’s Al Sufouh tram project is nearly 50 percent complete, according to Roads and Transport Authority officials.
Transport chiefs announced the completion of construction works on the elevated part of the track.
They also said the design of the transit systems was 95 percent complete, while 62 percent of the design of civil works was finished.
About 43 percent of the overall project was now completed, they said in a statement.
The Dubai tram project was originally scheduled to be completed in 2011, but has been plagued by cash concerns in the wake of the global financial crisis and the first phase is now set for completion in 2014.
Adnan Al Hammadi, CEO of the Rail Agency, said: “Work in the project, which is being constructed by Alstom-Besix Consortium, is progressing according to the approved schedule, and the initial phase of the project is set for completion in the first half of 2014.”
Designed to stretch 14km along Al Sufouh Road, the tram is set to be the world’s first to run with ground power feeding the entire line, eliminating the need for overhead wires.
The first phase of the project will span 10.7km and cost AED4bn, the RTA said in April, and will see 13 of the network’s 19 stations open to the public.
On completion, the tram will link with the Dubai Metro at three stations along Sheikh Zayed Road and will also tie-up with the monorail on the Palm Jumeirah.
Authorities say the line will include 25 vehicles each capable of carrying 400 passengers.
In February, Dubai Government said it had secured a $675m financing deal for the first phase of the Al Sufouh Tram project.
The Department of Finance said the proceeds from the dual currency financing would go towards the completion of phase 1 of the construction of the transport scheme.
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