Preparations are moving forward on a two-kilometer extension connecting Saigon Metro’s planned Line 5 with Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
According to Tuoi Tre, officials from the city’s Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) recently announced the completion of a feasibility study exploring the possibility of a metro station beneath Tan Binh District’s Hoang Van Thu Park. If all goes ahead as planned, the metro station would provide an underground link to Tan Son Nhat’s international terminal.
Total investment for the project is estimated at roughly US$250 million, with US$224 million coming in the form of loans from South Korea, while the remainder will be covered by the state budget. Line 4B-1, as it is known, was officially proposed last year and will connect to the uber-expensive Line 5, which in turn connects with Lines 1 and 2.
MAUR is now expected to submit its feasibility study and additional findings to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc by January 2017 in order to finalize an investment policy for the project. Approval is expected by the first quarter of 2018. If this timeline holds true, construction will start on the extension by early 2019 and finish by 2024.
