The first line of the Florence tram linking the Santa Maria Novella Station to Scandicci has been a great success. And this Saturday construction on the second tram line will finally begin – a project that is starting 2 years later than expected. Connecting the Peretola airport with Piazza dell’Unità, there is high demand for the second tram line to be finished. The Florence community is hopeful that construction will be quick and smooth, unlike the 7 year project for the first line full of obstacles and delays. Mayor Matteo Renzi will also unveil plans for an underground tram on Saturday. Both underground lines are projected start at the Santa Maria Novella train station and pass through Piazza della Repubblica. From there the line would branch with one track extending through Piazza San Marco and Piazza della Libertà to finish in Campo di Marte. The second branch would continue to Piazza Santa Croce and pass through Viale Europa and South Florence to end at Bagno Ripoli. Right now the estimated costs for these underground tram lines is roughly 40 million euros per kilometer with an estimated finish date of 2020. It is a project long anticipated by Florentine citizens who are growing more wary on whether the tram system will ever be fully realized.
