Construction on the Ben Thanh-Tham Luong metro line is expected to commence in 2021.

Saigon Times reports that residents have handed over at least 70% of the land needed to build the city's second metro line, which will run from Ben Thanh Market to Tham Luong in District 12.

Viettel Group has also given up part of its property at 285 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street in District 10 for the eventual construction of the Dan Chu Station, which is named after the roundabout connecting Vo Thi Sau, Ba Thang Hai and Cach Mang Thang Tam.

According to the Management Authority for Urban Railways, 99.2% of compensation cases related to the line have been settled. Through the rest of this year, MAUR will continue to clear sites and relocate necessary infrastructure in order to begin construction in 2021.

The Ben Thanh-Tham Luong line will cover 11.3 kilometers, mostly underground, through Tan Binh, Tan Phu, and districts 1, 3, 10 and 12. According to Nguoi Lao Dong, the project will cost over US$2 billion, and is currently slated to open to the public by the end of 2026.

Progress on Saigon's Metro Line 1 is going according to plan. Last month, the first train for the line arrived in Saigon after undergoing testing in Japan while at the moment, workers are in the process of finishing the track's train stations.

[Photo via Nguoi Lao Dong]