HCM City’s first metro tunnel nears completion

The tunnel runs from Ba Son Station to the Municipal Theater in District 1, part of the city’s metro route No.1 connecting Ben Thanh Terminal in District 1 with Suoi Tien Terminal in District 9.

The installation of the boring machine was started in March and tunnel construction began in May.

According to a representative of Japan’s Shimizu-Meada Joint Operation, the main contractor for the tunnel project, over 40 engineers and workers have been working around the clock to finish the job.

The underground passage is expected to be finished on October 31, two months ahead of schedule, he stated.

Following the completion, the TBM, a 70-meter long machine weighing 300 metric tons, will be disassembled.

Its parts will be transported back to Ba Son Station to be re-assembled – a three month project – before construction of a second tunnel between Ba Son and the Municipal Theater begins.

This entire passageway is anticipated to be completed in mid-2018.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency, a provider of capital assistance for the metro project, says this is the first time a TBM has been operated in Vietnam.

The technology used with the machine helps minimize vibrations and noise during the tunnel construction.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Management Authorities for Urban Railways, the construction of metro route No.1 began in August 2012 with a total investment capital of US$2.49 billion.

Plans for the metro line call for 19.7 kilometers of track to pass from District 1 through District 2, District 9, Binh Thanh District, and Thu Duc District. 

The expected completion date is in 2020.