Infrastructure around Saigon metro to cost $64 mln

An underground walkway each will be built in three districts, trees planted, sidewalks renovated, and cameras and lighting installed.

The work is set to be completed in 2026 simultaneously with the metro line from Ben Thanh to Tham Luong.

The cost has increased by 10.4 percent from an earlier estimate, partly due to exchange rates, the committee said.

The Ben Thanh-Tham Luong line will run nearly 20 kilometers (12 miles) between Districts 1 and 12. Construction is set to begin next year, and its cost has ballooned from $1.3 billion to more than $2.1 billion.

It is likely to be funded by the Asian Development Bank, German bank KfW, the European Investment Bank, and the city’s own resources.

A section of the city’s first metro route between Ben Thanh and Suoi Tien is set to have a test run in the third quarter of this year.