A section of Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, where HCMC's Metro Line No.2, or Ben Thanh - Tham Luong, will run underground.
With an investment of nearly VND47.9 trillion (US$1.9 billion), the line will span over 11 km, with 9.2 km underground, to connect the city center to the northwest, across major roads like Truong Chinh and Cach Mang Thang Tam. Construction is set to begin in December 2025 after multiple delays.
Its final stop is the underground Ben Thanh station in downtown District 1, which has been in use since last year to serve line No.1.
After five years of clearance, the site is now ready for construction.
Along Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, houses have been relocated for the metro project.
Similar clearances occurred along other routes of the project.
Around 2 km away, near Dan Chu Roundabout, land clearance was completed last year after resolving compensation issues. A large underground station will be built here.
At the underground Hoa Hung station site, fences have been removed, and workers are finalizing infrastructure relocation.
Nguyen Van Hau, 38, levels the roadbed at the Hoa Hung station site. About 20 workers, some working night shifts, are racing to meet the deadline of completing the work in March.
At the Hoa Hung station site, some areas have been paved with cement, with workers spraying water for maintenance.
In cleared areas, many residents have rebuilt or renovated their narrowed homes and are leasing them for business.
However, some cleared sections along Cach Mang Thang Tam and Truong Chinh streets have been encroached upon by businesses, including restaurants and cafés.
Traffic around Ben Thanh station in the city's center.
The Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien line, the first in HCMC, became operational in December 2024 after 12 years of construction.
HCMC plans to expand its metro system to 355 km in the next decade and 510 km by 2045. Future lines will be mostly underground to reduce costs and align with the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) model.
The Tham Luong Depot in District 12, covering over 25 hectares, was completed in 2018 and will serve as Metro Line No.2's operations hub.
In 2015, a seven-story office building with a basement was built at the depot, covering 17,000 square meters, with supporting facilities, at a cost of VND173 billion.
Approved over a decade ago, HCMC's second metro project was initially set to be funded by official development aid, but the city has opted to finance it with its own budget.
