About Amman metro project
The city’s largest airport, Queen Alia International Airport, situated about 30 minutes south of Amman, is the major international airport for Jordan and the hub for Royal Jordanian, the flag carrier. The airport has three terminals, two passenger and one cargo, and in 2007 handled between 4 to 5 million passengers. The airport is undergoing expansion, including a new terminal costing $700M, that will allow the airport to handle over 9 million passengers. A new rail line being constructed will connect Queen Alia International with Raghadan, Mahatta, and Zarqa. Taxis and buses serve the airport 24/7.
Marka International Airport is a one-terminal airport that serves primarily domestic and nearby international routes and the military.
The recently constructed Abdoun Bridge spans Wadi Abdoun, and connects the 4th Circle to Abdoun Circle. It is considered one of Amman’s many landmarks. It is the first curved suspended bridge to be built.
The Hejaz railway, built in the early 20th century, was used primarily for pilgrims to reach the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, but now the rail line is basically used by tourists. There are new projects that are being built to add more railines in the Kingdom, most of which will go through Amman.
Metro system in Amman
Currently under construction, dedicated lanes for bus lines will serve as part of the new urban rapid transit. There are plans to construct three line metro system in Amman.
The first phase is two lines, red and green, connecting East, Central, and West Amman with one transit station at Amman Plaza with some connections to the Northern and Southern suburbs.
The second phase consists of a yellow line connecting North and South Amman with transit to the red and green lines at Abdali and City Hall. The project would cost more than half a billion dollars. There are also plans to construct funicular line in East Amman connecting the old downtown with Jabal al’ Qalaat. These projects should be completed by 2016 with the entire capital transportation system completed by 2025.
Amman will be connected by the Kingdom’s national rail project that will link Amman with the rest of the Kingdom and the region. It should be completed by 2013.
Amman has an extensive highway system that links every part of the city to one another. Its highways also link nearby cities such as Zarqa and Madaba.
The Amman-Zarqa highway becomes very congested with commuters at rush hour which is why a new commuter rail line is being constructed. Amman also has an extensive bus system. There are pedestrian tunnels that bring pedestrians from one side of a highway to another.
There are eight circles, or roundabouts, that span and connect West Amman. However, the city lacks an operable rail or metro system which causes severe congestion, especially in old Amman, where its narrow streets cannot handle many people. To add to the congestion, all the Kingdom’s highways pass through Amman, further increasing traffic in the capital.
Source: Wiki
