Moscow Metro sets а new record
In a landmark event, the Moscow Metro has opened 10 new stations on its Big Circle Line.
On December 7, Moscow reached a major milestone. For the first time in the history of the Russian capital’s subway, a section of more than 20km in length was launched, adding ten new stations to the Big Circle Line (BCL) at the same time. Russian President Vladimir Putin and the city's mayor Sergey Sobyanin officially launched the new section.
“For the first time in the modern history of domestic metro construction, ten stations are launched at one time. For millions of people, commuting will become easier – in fact, the whole pace of life in Moscow will now change significantly,” Putin said.
The Big Circle Line is unique compared to other subway construction projects around the world. Its total length will be 70km, surpassing the current record holder – Beijing Subway Line 10, which is 57km in length. As of today, 22 out of the 31 stations of the BCL are operational and open to passengers.
The main goal of the Big Circle Line is to take some of the traffic load off the interchange stations in the center of the capital. The 10 new stations – Terekhovo, Kuntsevskaya, Davydkovo, Aminyevskaya, Michurinsky Prospekt, Prospekt Vernadskogo, Novatorskaya, Vorontsovskaya, Zyuzino and Kakhovskaya – are expected to improve the transport accessibility of a number of districts in the west and south of Moscow.
“There will be interchanges from the Big Circle Line in 44 different directions. This is a keystone project, a new supporting framework for the entire transport system of Moscow and the Moscow transport hub. It is the most complex of all our projects – and the one there has been the most demand for,” Sobyanin said, adding that 70% of the BCL is currently in operation.
“At the peak of the BCL construction, about 16,000 people were involved,” the deputy mayor of Moscow on urban planning and construction, Andrey Bochkarev, said. The future of the Moscow Metro is made in partnership with Mosinzhproekt, Russia’s largest engineering holding. The company has developed project designs and served as the main contractor for the construction of new lines and stations of the Moscow Metro since 2011. Over the last decade, the company’s specialists have built and put into operation over 100km of metro lines, 61 stations, and 11 depots.
“All the tunnel boring works on the Big Circle Line to be completed this year. In some of the sections, work was done at a very high pace in order to have the stations operational on time. The noteworthy feature of the Big Circle Line is that the tunneling had to be done right underthe operating subway . It wasn’t easy, but we did a good job,” Mosinzhproekt General Director Yuri Kravtsov said.
Digital modeling was used to coordinate construction, which helped speed up the launch of the new section.
“Coordinating the construction using digital models helps identify issues and make early adjustments. At Terekhovo, Kuntsevskaya and Davydkovo stations, all the routing of utilities and cable lines was calculated this way. In the future, these technologies will be used at all stages of construction for the Moscow Metro,” Kravtsov added.
When designing and building the Big Circle Line, Mosinzhproekt employs modern technologies of design, construction, and project management. Creating 3D models of lines and stations allows all aspects of station design to be integrated, including utility systems and other facilities. All construction workers, contractors, and engineers operate in a single digital framework.
More than 44 hectares of adjacent territory around the 10 commissioned BCL stations have been developed and upgraded. According to Kravtsov, urban development near metro stations allows to create a comfortable environment for both residents and passengers. “The territory near Kuntsevskaya station, which has rough terrain, is a good example of successful urban development. There, we used special land-shaping techniques, creating artificial hills, seamlessly integrating all metro infrastructure and designing public spaces for recreation,” Kravtsov said.
Over the years, Mosinzhproekt and its projects have won multiple prestigious Russian and international awards. In 2020, the Gymnastics Palace in Luzhniki won first prize at the international MIPIM Awards. Zaryadye Park and Zaryadye Concert Hall received a special jury prize at the 30th MIPIM exhibition in Cannes. The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex and the Voronovskoe Infectious Diseases Hospital were among the finalists of the MIPIM Awards. The latter also took gold at the international PROESTATE&TOBY Awards 2021 in the Best Medical Office Building category. At the same awards, Mosinzhproekt was recognized as the Engineering Company of the Year.
Today, Mosinzhproekt ranks 114th among the world’s 250 largest construction companies, according to ENR’s 2021 Top 250 Global Contractors, and continues to expand and develop its expertise.
