Tel Aviv Metro enters pre-qualification stage for $20 billion project

The NTA – Metropolitan Mass Transit Systems Ltd has launched the pre-qualification stage for the Tel Aviv Metro Programme, Israel’s largest-ever infrastructure project. Valued at approximately NIS 65 billion (US$17–20 billion), the metro will span 150 kilometres of twin tunnels under 24 local authorities in the Gush Dan region. The initiative marks the beginning of a transformative effort to ease congestion, improve air quality, and modernize transport connectivity across central Israel.

Stage 1 of the project covers 78 kilometres of tunnels and 59 underground stations, divided into eleven infrastructure packages known as Infra #1 Work Packages. Excavation alone will require 20 tunnel boring machines (TBMs) to remove 40 million cubic metres of earth, supported by the installation of 1.25 million tunnel-lining segments. Over 16,000 engineers and skilled workers, many from overseas, will take part. Participating firms must demonstrate expertise in large-scale tunnelling, underground station design, and project coordination at complex urban interfaces. Companies may bid individually or form consortia of up to three partners.

The NTA’s “permeable tender process” allows new entrants to join the contractor pool next year, though priority will be given to firms that qualify now. To attract global expertise, NTA delegations have visited South Korea and India to encourage participation amid limited local capacity and geopolitical uncertainty over Chinese involvement. The project’s completion, targeted between 2037 and 2042, will link 109 stations across three metro lines and is expected to serve up to 800 million passengers annually once integrated with the light rail system. Beyond transport improvements, the metro is projected to save Israel’s economy over NIS 34 billion per year and act as a catalyst for urban renewal and job creation across the Tel Aviv metropolitan region.