Metro Project Moves Forward as Oron Wins Two NTA Contracts
After years of delays, the Tel Aviv metropolitan metro project is moving ahead. Oron Group has won two NTA tenders worth a combined 362 million shekels for work on key depot sites in the network, with the work expected to begin in about a month.
The first contract, worth about 248 million shekels, covers development and utility relocation work at the Rishonim depot for Line M1. The second, worth about 114 million shekels, is for preparatory work at the Mesubim depot for Line M3. Both depots are central to the metro system’s maintenance, operations, and logistics.
The metro project includes three lines totaling about 150 kilometers, 109 underground stations, and coverage across 24 local authorities in the metropolitan area. The Rishonim depot, near the Rishonim interchange and Route 431, will serve as the main maintenance and operations center for M1, which is planned to run from north to south across the metro region. Oron will carry out development, demolition and relocation of infrastructure, earthworks, retaining walls, and site preparation ahead of the infrastructure and operations stages. The 300-dunam site will eventually include track systems, maintenance buildings, operations facilities, and support systems.
At Mesubim, near the Mesubim interchange east of Route 4 and south of Route 461, Oron will perform utility relocation, earthworks, paving, retaining walls, and development to enable continued construction of the depot. Oron said the projects involve substantial earthworks, relocation of sewage, water, electricity, and communications lines, retaining and support walls, paving, traffic arrangements, and complex coordination with infrastructure bodies.
Oron CEO Shaul Tzuk said the wins are “a significant expression of confidence” in the company and noted its investments in production capacity and execution capabilities. The tenders follow completion of earthworks at the Rishonim depot and come after NTA recently completed the prequalification stage for Infra 1 tenders, in which 20 groups comprising 33 Israeli and international infrastructure companies applied for contracts worth about 65 billion shekels. NTA is expected to publish the prequalification stage for Infra 2 in the coming days, and the metro is still aiming for partial opening in 2037.
