A total of 134 Saigon sidewalks will be paved with granite.
On March 27, Chairman Tran The Thuan of the District 1 People's Committee announced his unit's proposal to pave all sidewalks in Saigon with the same granite which appears on Nguyen Hue's pedestrian street, reports VnExpress.
The estimated budget for the project is VND1 trillion (US$44.8 million). This amount will be drawn from interest-free loans offered by businesses based in the central district.
“Upon hearing about the district’s urban embellishment scheme, the businesses headquartered in District 1 have promised to provide financial assistance of up to VND1 trillion, which would be paid back in three to five years,” Thuan told Tuoi Tre.
The upgrade will take place from 2016 to 2019, starting with five walkways in the central area, including Nguyen Thai Hoc, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Phung Khac Khoan, Dong Khoi and Cong Xa Paris Streets, reports Bao Moi.
However the plan has also met some controversy from experts as well as local residents. Traffic expert Dr. Pham Sanh also believes the project's hefty budget could be better used on more pressing matters, such as the city's shortage of car parking, its lack of public restrooms or perhaps the consistently heavy traffic jams which plague Saigon during rush hours, reports Zing.
Granite is also incapable of absorbing water during rainy season, a fact which would contribute to one of Saigon's other major issues: flooding.
[Photo via Thanh Nien]
