Preparations are under way to relocate railway infrastructure in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi. Over 74ha of track area and warehouse facilities are set to be redeveloped for urban use.
The railway that runs through Tbilisi is the major traffic corridor for transporting oil from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Black Sea ports. The line cuts through densely populated areas in the Georgian capital, constituting a health risk to inhabitants as well as a potential hazard to the environment. Its present location also acts as a barrier to urban development on the city's northern bank.
With funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Georgian Railway is planning an alternative route for the Tbilisi railway. The current railway area will be redeveloped for urban use. Cowi has been appointed to develop a remediation strategy and action plan for the redevelopment of the total area, which covers 84ha and is located in the centre of the capital.
Georgian Railway has used the area for locomotive depots and workshops, freight and warehouse yards as well as railway stations. The required clean-up of the site will involve dismantling, building demolition, waste removal and disposal as well as the rehabilitation of the site area.
"Based on our experience from similar projects, we expect that our study will include assessments of soil and groundwater contamination, presence of contaminants and hazardous substances in the construction materials of buildings and in installations,” said Cowi project manager Carsten Skov. “We will also be assessing the soil quality to determine if it can be used for future landscape engineering of the site."
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
