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Construction site to be cleared in downtown HCMC as metro station nears completion, local media reported.
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Work on the much-delayed line, which began in 2012, is around 83 percent complete now.
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The underground metro station construction site in front of HCMC’s iconic Opera House is set to be cleared after seven years following completion of the work.
The 150-meter site on Le Loi Street in District 1 would be cleared by the end of April, the HCMC Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) said on Thursday.
The station has been built for the metro line No.1 which runs 19.7 kilometers from Ben Thanh Market to Suoi Tien theme park in District 9.
Opera House is one of three underground stations out of a total of 14, some of which are also elevated.
It will have four floors and is almost complete.
Work on the much-delayed line, which began in 2012, is around 83 percent complete now.
According to local media, HCMC’s first metro service has been delayed yet again and will only start next year, with authorities blaming it on the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.
The 19.7-km metro route No.1 from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien theme park in District 9 will have 17 Japanese-made trains.
Being built at a cost of VND43.7 trillion ($1.89 billion), it will have 14 stations, three underground and 11 on the surface, some elevated.
The country’s biggest city, with a population of 13 million, has been struggling with traffic congestion for years. The number of personal vehicles has exploded with 825,000 automobiles and 8.12 million motorbikes on the roads now, while public transport is woefully underdeveloped.
It plans to build eight metro lines running a total 220 km, according to VNExpress.