Pillars for the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project under construction in Ha Noi's Dong Da District. The project needs about US$17 million to pay affected households and speed up site clearance. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hung

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — The Ministry of Transport has asked investors of three key transport projects in Ha Noi to accelerate land clearances to meet the existing deadline.

The ministry made the request at a recent meeting held to discuss land clearances for the Nhat Tan Bridge, the road connecting Noi Bai International Airport to Nhat Tan Bridge, and the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project.

Site clearance efforts for these projects have made recent progress. However, some areas in Tay Ho, Soc Son and Ha Dong districts are proceeding slower than expected.

Specifically, two households occupying 216 square metres near the Nhat Tan Bridge and six households impeding the Noi Bai-Nhat Tan Bridge road are yet to be relocated.

Vice chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Quoc Hung said the committee had required investors to work with the Tay Ho district authority to carry out the site clearance and complete it this month.

The committee also requested the Soc Son district authority to work with investors to chalk out compensation for six households in the district.

Regarding the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project, Hung said progress on site clearance and construction was lagging behind schedule.

He said the ministry needed to pay about VND356 billion (US$16.9 million) in compensation to affected households to speed up site clearances.

In a reply to the committee's request, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong said the ministry had proposed the Government to deploy a further VND400 billion ($19 million) to implement the urban railway project.

As planned, the sum would be allocated to the city for household compensations.

Truong also required the management board of the railway project to carry out construction work after the site clearance was finished.

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project was built at a cost of VND8.8 trillion ($419 million). The entire project measures longer than 13 km, including 12 stations and a depot. It is expected that the project will be completed by June, 2015.

The Nhat Tan Bridge project, which starts in Tay Ho District and ends at the intersection with Dong Anh District, is nearly nine kilometres long, with the bridge stretching 3.7 kilometers and the access roads 5.2 kilometres. Investment capital of VND13.6 trillion ($6.4 trillion) will be used to fund the new bridge. — VNS