Thursday, April 28 2022 15:30

ArmInfo.The first two stages of the construction of the  Ajapnyak subway station will be financed from the funds reimbursed to the city budget for the damage caused.

On April 28, at a government meeting, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan announced that the practical stage of the construction of  the Ajapnyak subway station had begun. "A tender was announced for  the design of a subway station. There is already a winner, and today  the issue of financing is being discussed," he said.

At first it was planned to take a government decision on this issue,  but the situation has changed. "The government should finance the  construction. However, we recently saw that, within the framework of  one of the criminal cases, the city budget was compensated for damage  in the amount of about 850 million drams (about $ 1.8 million).  During the discussions, it was decided that the amount at the first  stage, 750 million drams, will be directed to these purposes",   Pashinyan explained, specifying that the criminal case is connected  with the activities of the Parking City Service.

Yerevan Mayor Hrachya Sargsyan, in turn, replied that the project  would be implemented in 510 days, and maybe even earlier. "The  project will be implemented in three stages. With these funds, we  will be able to finance the first two stages. At the same time, I  would like to ask for your instructions so that we can start raising  funds for the third stage of the project from now on," the mayor of  the capital said. .

According to him, today there are problems in the subway. For many  years, there were no capital investments, and the organization itself  is subsidized by the state. "The cost of transportation of one  passenger is estimated at 213 drams, without taking into account  capital expenditures. I ask for your instructions in order to solve  other technical problems," he said.

The total cost of the station may be about $50 million. The issue of  attracting investment projects to reduce the cost of the program is  being discussed with the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) ).

At the end of November 2021, it was reported that the leading Russian  Metrogiprotrans company has won a tender announced by the Yerevan  Municipality for the development of the Ajapnyak subway station in   the same name administrative district of the Armenian capital.  As  former Mayor  of Yerevan Hayk Marutyan of Yerevan pointed out, the  preliminary version of the project  envisages the construction of a  bridge across the Hrazdan (river, ed.  note) only for the subway,  while Metrogiprotrans also proposes to  build a second level for cars  or pedestrians. As the interlocutors  pointed out, the construction  of an underground subway station is  preferable, since it is much  more convenient for people using the  subway and allows the  development of various infrastructures.  President of the Board of  Directors of  Metrogiprotrans Valery Abramson, proposed to the  Armenian government a project for the development of a subway worth $   500 million.  "The  Russian Agency for Export Credit and Investment   Insurance (EXIAR) is ready to support the program on favorable terms.   With these funds, we will be able to modernize the infrastructure of   the old subway, as well as plan those sections of the city towards  which the stations can be expanded," Abramson said.

Earlier it was reported that if the loan agreement with EXIAR is   approved, construction work will last about 1.5 years. According to   the city authorities' plan, the path to the new subway station with a   length of 525 meters should pass through a tunnel, the construction   of which began in Soviet times and remained unfinished. Then the  Ajapnyak station remained unfinished, in the project  its   continuation from the Davitashen district on the north-western   outskirts of the city.