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Pre-construction on City rail nearly done
Seventy per cent of pre-construction work on the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro project's depot in HCM City has been completed.
This is part of the city's first underground rail system. Construction of the entire metro is expected to cost US$1.09 billion.
The metro's 19.7km route has been designated to run from the Ben Thanh Market in District 1, along the Dien Bien Phu Street in Binh Thanh District and the Ha Noi Highway, to Long Binh station.
Tran Thi Anh Nguyet, deputy head of the HCM City Urban Railway Project Management Unit (URPMU), said the bidding invitation for three main sub-projects would be finished this month.
They include a 2.6km subway from Ben Thanh to Ba Son; a 17.1km elevated track; and rails and cars. Construction will begin in early 2010. In order to keep the metro project on schedule, the HCM City People's Committee has asked relevant districts and agencies to speed for clearance.
The People's Committees of districts 1, 2, 9, Binh Thanh and Thu Duc will be mainly responsible for ensuring that land is ready for construction by June 30.
Eighty per cent of the funds for the project will be official development assistance (ODA) from Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC). The remaining 20 per cent will be funded by the City. The metro route is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.
It will then be tested for six months before running officially in 2014.
When fully operational, the metro will carry some 526,000 passengers daily, which would significantly help ease traffic congestion in the city.
VietNamNet, Viet Nam News
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