Hanoi’s Gam Cau neighborhood is set to receive a makeover, as officials in the capital are moving forward with a plan to reopen 127 archways beneath the area’s historic elevated train tracks.
According to DTI, the Ministry of Transport has approved a plan to clear the previously sealed arches beneath a historic elevated railway track running toward Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem District. The project is estimated to cost VND100 billion (US$4.4 million) and is set to begin next year and will include consulting support from French experts.
Once reopened, these small enclaves will be transformed into trendy cafes, art spaces, bookshops and cultural performance areas as officials hope to bring more tourism to the area. The arches are also expected to play a role in reducing traffic congestion in the area.
The elevated train tracks, built at the turn of the 20th century, have played an important role in Hanoi’s history, particularly during wartime, reports Tuoi Tre. Even when the arches were sealed in the 1980s due to crime concerns, local residents continued to live and do business in the area.
The stretch of sealed archways span 700 meters from Phung Hung Street to the intersection with Nguyen Thien Thuat Street. Photo via VnExpress.
As talk of reopening the archways becomes more of a reality, residents have expressed mixed views on the project. In a VnExpress report on the project earlier this summer, some local residents expressed concerned about losing their businesses to newer, trendier outlets, while others were optimistic that the new openings would bring more customers and greater opportunity to the neighborhood.
While the effectiveness of the project remains to be seen, an unnamed private firm has bid to handle the archway reopening, according to DTI, though city officials have yet to give the company a green light on the project. Vietnam Railways has also pointed out structural concerns about reopening the archways; city officials are currently studying the stability of the elevated railway track in preparation for the project.
[Photo via Nguoi Dua Tin]
