MALAGA’S metro will open tomorrow – July 30 – with a whole day of free service to celebrate completion of the nine year project.
The Olive Press has put together a timeline of the trials and tribulations of the Metro’s construction.
July 1, 2005 – Office of Malaga Metro Information Opens
January 26, 2006 – Construction begins
March 2, 2006 – Malaga Metro estimates total spending of ‘over 400m euros,’ to be financed 50% by the Junta of Andalucia, 33% by the central government and 17% by the Malaga municipality.
November 28, 2006 – Malaga Metro workers start uncovering a 12th century Muslim wall found in the path of the metro. The wall will be incorporated into the construction.
June 30, 2008 – Work begins on line 1
November 11, 2011 (11/11/11 at 11am) – The set-date for the inauguration of line 1 of the Malaga metro.
February 17, 2012 – Malaga Metro announces that construction costs will total €870 million, over double the original proposed budget.
June 28, 2012 – Malaga Metro reports that the opening of lines 1 and 2 will be delayed until the end of 2013. They admit to lacking the €57 million necessary to complete the construction.
March 6, 2013 – After financial crisis and politicized debate, the Junta announces that part of the subway will operate above ground, an economically-motivated modification.
August 3, 2013 – The Junta announces that the metro should only diminish traffic by 3%.
June 30, 2014 – The metro, now completed, undergoes final testing.
July 30, 2014 – At long last, the metro finally opens lines 1 and 2. All fares will be free on the first day of travel.
news next week it will close
March 2, 2006: Malaga Metro estimates “total spending of over 400 euros”….Now, that would have been worth it.
16th century Muslim wall ???????
Did they come back and build a wall without telling us?