Municipal authorities in Hồ Chí Minh City are moving forward with a number of infrastructure projects that will majorly transform the peninsula in the future.
Over the long holiday weekend on April 29, Saigon broke ground on the Bến Thành–Thủ Thiêm Metro Line, which will take passengers from the central interchange at Bến Thành Market to eastern regions of the city. The interchange has already served the existing Line 1 and will also link to the Bến Thành–Tham Lương Line that stretches northward.
A cross-section of a station of the Bến Thành–Thủ Thiêm Line.
The line serving Thủ Thiêm begins at Bến Thành, running along Hàm Nghi Boulevard before crossing the Saigon River to Thủ Thiêm, where it will snake along Mai Chí Thọ to the terminal in Bình Trưng (Thủ Đức City). Six stations are based underground: Hàm Nghi, Tố Hữu, Cung Thiếu Nhi, Bệnh viện Quốc tế, Bình Khánh, and Thủ Thiêm.
A map showing both the first (yellow) and second (teal) phases of the line.
Most notably, Hàm Nghi Station will be Saigon’s deepest at 33 meters underground as the line will need to travel beneath the Saigon River. On the other end, the last station is planned to be a meeting point for other transportation modes, such as a high-speed North-South train and an upcoming metro line linking Thủ Thiêm and Long Thành International Airport.
On the same day, the city also commenced construction on the new administrative hub on a 46.7-hectare plot of land in Thủ Thiêm. The ambitious project, expected to cost nearly VND30 trillion (US$1.12 billion), is designed for administrative, cultural and civic functions of the city.
The design of the administrative center.
Components of the new hub include a 30-story administrative center, a 2,000-seat multi-purpose amphitheatre and convention center, and a central park and central square.
Ho Chi Minh City is accelerating efforts to form the Thu Thiem urban area as its future financial and administrative hub, with the launch of a VND29.6 trillion (US$1.12 billion) central square and administrative complex, one of four major projects expected to shape the long-planned new urban center on the city’s eastern bank.
Have a look at some renderings showcasing the new administrative hub below:
The central park next to the administrative center.
The performance arts and conference center.
A corner of the park.
The central plaza.
Images via VnExpress.
