HCM City may have to cut down old trees for metro line
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City say they will have to allocate a large area in Tao Dan Park for the second metro line, which will connect its central districts with the fast growing western suburbs.
According to a new plan, the 10-hectare park in District 1 needs to cut up a piece of land of 2,100 square meters for the project. That means at least 33 big trees will have to be felled, many of which were grown in the 1860s.
Some officials in District 1 has asked the city to reconsider such a plan, saying the park serves as the lungs of the city center and its trees should be preserved.
Tao Dan is a popular spot in the city, with a playground for children, a temple of ancient Vietnamese rulers Hung Kings, and a lot of space for outdoors activities.
The city said in a report that the line is now expected to cost more than US$2 billion compared with the initial number of nearly US$1.35 billion.
It said the cost has burgeoned after a recent estimate found the track and underground stations would cost US$1.17 billion instead of US$404 million as expected earlier.
The city will file a detailed report this month on the cost adjustments to seek approval from the government.
Work on the line, one of the eight planned for the country’s first subway network, began in January with money from official development assistance and the city.
It will run more than 11.3 kilometers, including 9.3 kilometers underground, from a station near Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Tan Phu District.
Work on the first line connecting Ben Thanh and Suoi Tien in District 9 began in 2012 and is expected to finish by 2018.