Saigon metro line 2 land acquisition falls behind schedule

By Huu Cong   June 26, 2020 | 02:29 am PT
Saigon metro line 2 land acquisition falls behind schedule
A part of Tan Binh District in Ho Chi Minh City through which the metro line 2 will run. Photo courtesy of the HCMC Management Authority for Urban Railways.
Land acquisition for the second metro line in Saigon is falling behind schedule, and this could delay construction set to begin next year.

Some 40-50 percent of land in the six districts the Ben Thanh – Tham Luong metro route runs through has not been handed over yet though the deadline is June 30, director of the line, Le Van Khoa, said on Thursday.

In July clearance of the lands is scheduled to begin to enable the start of construction next year.

Khoa said district authorities are still negotiating compensation with affected residents, many of whom have refused to hand over their property.

There are 602 affected households, of which 121 have to relocate.

Districts 12 and Tan Phu have promised handovers in June and July, while the remaining four, Districts 1, 3, 10, and Tan Binh, have not set deadlines.

Khoa said any delay in handover could lead to delays in construction and eventually lawsuits by the contractor as happened with the first metro line in the city between Ben Thanh and Suoi Tien amusement park.

The Ben Thanh – Tham Luong Metro Line runs 11 kilometers from Districts 1 to 12, 9.2 km underground. It will have 10 stations.

The work is expected to cost VND47.9 trillion ($2 billion) after ballooning from the earlier VND26 trillion ($1.1 billion), with construction planned between 2021 and 2026. It is forecast to serve 140,000 passengers a day.

It is part of eight metro lines planned in the city with a combined length of 220 kilometers and a price tag of nearly $25 billion.

 
 
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