Ministry releases tenders for Amman-Zarqa BRT project

AMMAN — The Ministry of Public Works and Housing on Monday launched tenders for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project between the central governorates of Amman and Zarqa.

The tenders for the mass public transport system amount to JD137 million, and will be distributed through four phases, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Minister of Public Works and Housing Falah Omoush said that the phases include constructing and finishing BRT routes in the middle of the highway between Amman and Zarqa, along with widening each side of the road to three lanes.

BRT service between Amman and Zarqa would ease traffic jams between the two governorates, the minister said, adding that the project will be built by Jordanian companies. 

The 22km BRT project begins at Al Mahata Complex and is proposed to stretch to the Zarqa Complex.

The project is being implemented in cooperation between the ministries of public works and transport, and is financed by the French Agency for Development in Amman and by the Ministry of Transport, Petra added.

The BRT’s construction started in 2010, but was halted and delayed several times.

It is expected to have a capacity of 120 passengers per bus, and serve almost 25km of Amman’s streets, according to Greater Amman Municipality officials, who added that the system will benefit Amman’s residents for at least the next 20 years.