Saigon metro construction site to no longer block Ben Thanh Market

An excavator dismantles part of the construction site in front of Ben Thanh Market in downtown HCMC. June, 2021. Photo by HCMC Management Authority for Urban Railways.

The HCMC Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) said Wednesday the underground station is 90 percent complete and its work site in front of HCMC’s iconic market would be removed, but the streets around the station would not be fully cleared until the end of this year.

The four-story station goes 32 meters below ground and is 236 meters long and 60 meters wide.

It will be the most important of three underground stations on the route, which will run 19.7 km from Ben Thanh Market to Suoi Tien theme park in Thu Duc City. It will also serve as an interchange with line Nos.2, 3 and 4 when they are built.

The construction site of Ben Thanh underground metro station, March 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa.

In April the construction site of the next station, also underground, in front of the Opera House was partly removed after completely blocking Le Loi Street for seven years.

The third underground station is Ba Son close to the Saigon River.

Built at a cost of VND43.7 trillion ($1.89 billion), the route will have 14 stations with remaining 11 being on the surface or elevated.

The much-delayed line is around 86 percent complete and is expected to start commercial operations in 2022.