The Hanoi People’s Committee has sent a report to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the station’s design and construction plan, Kinh te Do thi (Economic and Urban Affairs) newspaper has reported.
According to the submitted plan, the C9 station will be built on the largest section of Hoan Kiem Lake’s bank under the flower garden on Dinh Tien Hoang Street with three floors, including a concourse, a technical area and a platform level.
The shortest distance from the station to Hoan Kiem Lake will be 10m. According to the initial design, the station will have four gates.
The plan has not been approved because of concerns raised by Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism regarding the protected area of Hoan Kiem Lake relics regulated in the Law on Cultural Heritage.
The research and consultancy agency has given scientific evidence, assuring that the station’s construction and operation will not cause subsidence and other impacts.
Auxiliary systems and gates will be constructed in the area belonging to Vietnam Electricity’s headquarter on Dinh Tien Hoang Street to avoid land clearance issues.
The plan is thought to be the most efficient as it does not require land clearance, reducing the risk of further delay. Appropriate routes also minimise construction expenses.
The third gate will replace the current public toilets, helping to improve the lake’s surroundings.
Located near the Old Quarter, the C9 underground station is expected to ease traffic congestion in Hanoi’s downtown.
A survey on Hanoi residents and tourists in March last year found 90.3 percent of people agreed with having an underground station near Hoan Kiem Lake.
The municipal People’s Committee has asked the Government to approve the plan and pledged to ensure safety for the special national relic of Hoan Kiem Lake during the construction of C9 station.
The Nam Thang Long – Tran Hung Dao metro project will use official development assistance from Japan and reciprocal capital. Although the project has not been implemented, its investment capital has been adjusted from 19.5 trillion VND (838.5 million USD) to 35.6 trillion VND (1.53 billion USD).
It is part of metro line No. 2 connecting Noi Bai International Airport and the city centre and spanning 11.5km.
The entire metro line is planned to have 10 stations, including three elevated stations and seven underground stations.
If they are all built, metro line No. 2 will connect with line No.1, Ngoc Hoi – Nhu Quynh, at C8 station on Hang Dau Street and line No. 3, Nhon – Hoang Mai, at station C10 on Hang Bai Street./.
