Tbilisi City Hall has completed the first stage of evaluating bids for the construction and design of the new tram line connecting Didi Digomi with Didube Metro Station. Mayor Kakha Kaladze announced that the city is currently clarifying details with the shortlisted bidders and expects to select the winning company and sign the contract by the end of June.
The 7.5-kilometer tram line will start near the intersection of Didi Dighomi’s 3rd and 4th micro-districts and run through Akhmeteli Highway and Digmis Masivi, ending near Didube Metro. The project will include 11 stations and a new tram depot designed to service 11 tram units. The total estimated cost is 417 million GEL, fully financed by the state budget.
The tender - conducted under Asian Development Bank procurement rules - attracted proposals from four major international companies, including three Turkish and one Chinese municipal firm. Bids ranged from 412.6 million GEL (Dogus Insaat) to 287.6 million GEL (EmreRay), the latter coming in significantly below the indicative cost estimate.
According to Kaladze, the project is historically significant, marking the return of trams to Tbilisi after many years. Construction will begin immediately after the contract is finalized, and the selected contractor will have 36 months to complete the project, including 24 months of direct construction work. The new tram line is expected to greatly improve mobility for Didi Digomi residents by integrating into Tbilisi’s wider public transport network.
