Rome mayor says government funds available to continue Metro C line.

The opening of the Amba Aradam and Colosseum-Roman Forum stations on Rome's third underground line will likely slip to 2023, according to the CEO of Metro C Fabrizio Di Paola.

However the city's transport councillor Linda Meleo disagrees, saying that "with the exception of unforseen events" the two new Metro C stations would open according to plan in December 2022.

Di Paola gave his estimated opening date during the visit of Rome mayor Virginia Raggi to the Amba Aradam-Ipponio construction site in the S. Giovanni district on 11 February.

The expected delay relates mainly to last year's discovery of a second-century residence of a Roman military commander during works on the Amba Aradam station.

Di Paola said the Metro C engineers are "excited" because the tunnel boring machines, known as moles, will "enter the UNESCO area and we do it with all the reverence that this requires."

During the site visit Raggi stated that government funds "will be there" to continue the metro line beyound the Roman Forum towards its proposed terminus at Clodio/Mazzini in the Prati district.