Tbilisi metro’s Varketili station will return to its full operating schedule from 06:00 to 00:00 starting March 16, even though renovation works at the station are still ongoing. Tbilisi City Hall stated that the major portion of construction has already been completed, allowing the station to reopen fully to passengers.
With metro operations returning to normal, the city will cancel the temporary N174 shuttle bus, which had been transporting passengers between Varketili and Samgori station during the construction period.
The Tbilisi Transport Company reports that most rehabilitation works have been completed on the lower platform.
These works included:
- Completing finishing works on theplatform and the inclined escalator tunnel
- Treatingcorroded ceiling surfaces
- Filling structural cavities withspecial mixtures to prevent water leakage
Despite the reopening, full rehabilitation of the station has not yet been completed. The upper vestibule still requires major structural reinforcement, particularly repairs to damaged reinforced-concrete beams. Officials say the design phase for this part of the project is currently in progress after which the remaining construction works will begin.Authorities expect the entire renovation project to be finished by summer.
The reconstruction of Varketili Metro Station has faced several setbacks since the project first began. A major renovation completed in 2017 was followed by the collapse of the station’s suspended ceiling in January 2018, raising safety concerns. A new rehabilitation contract signed in 2022 was later terminated due to the contractor’s failure to fulfill its obligations.
In 2023, the city signed a simplified procurement contract with Bada Construction valued at GEL 13.4 million, later increased to GEL 14.7 million. An additional GEL 1.8 million was allocated for tunnel repairs, bringing the total project cost to GEL 16.5 million.
The latest contract deadline, originally set for September 2024, has been extended several times and now runs until March 31, 2026.
