The first set of tracks and sleepers will be installed on HCM City’s 19.7km metro line No 1 from Ben Thanh Market to Suoi Tien Tourist Park on October 23. — Photo tuoitre.vn

The first set of tracks and sleepers will be installed on HCM City’s 19.7km metro line No 1 from Ben Thanh Market to Suoi Tien Tourist Park on October 23, the director of the project has said.

Duong Huu Hoa said the tracks would be installed at the section between Binh Thai Crossroads and Ha Noi Highway by Japanese contractor Hitachi.

According to City Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR), work on the first metro line is on track, including a package for construction of the 17.1km section above ground and the maintenance depot, with 70 per cent of the works completed.

Japanese contractor Shimiwu-Maeda has completed 51 per cent of the work under another package, this one to build the 2.6km underground section between Ba Son Shipyard (on Ton Duc Thang Street) and the Municipal Theatre on Dong Khoi Street in District 1.

The route runs through districts 1, 2, 9, Binh Thanh and Thu Duc in HCM City and part of Di An District in Binh Duong Province, including 17.1 km along the Ha Noi Highway.

After years of delay due to numerous adjustments, the cost of the project has risen to over VND47 trillion (US$2.49 billion). The work started in August 2012 and the metro line is expected to start operating in 2020.

Tracks would be laid in the elevated section between Ba Son terminal and Long Binh maintenance depot next month, Le Nguyen Minh Quang, director of MAUR, said

Speaking to the media last September he had said that nearly 70 per cent of the elevated section was complete.

As much as VND5.2 trillion ($228.9 million) would be needed this year to finance construction but the Ministry of Planning and Investment has allocated only VND2.9 trillion, he said. — VNS