HCM City (VNA) - The first metro tunnel running from Ba Son Stationto the Municipal Theatre in District 1 is expected to be completed by the endof this month, two months ahead of schedule, according to the HCM CityManagement Authority for Urban Railways. 

As of October 18, 775metres of the 781-metre long underground passage had been completed afterfive months of construction.

The tunnel is part ofthe HCM City’s metro route No.1 connecting Ben Thanh Terminal in District 1with Suoi Tien Terminal in District 9.

The installation ofthe tunnel boring machine (TBM) began in March and tunnel construction in May.

More than 40 engineersand workers have been working around the clock to complete the tunnel,according to a representative of Japan’s Shimizu-Meada Joint Operation, themain contractor for the tunnel project.  

Following completion,the TBM, a 70-metre long machine weighing 300 metric tonnes, will bedisassembled.

Its parts will betransported back to Ba Son Station to be re-assembled – a three-month longproject – before construction of a second tunnel between Ba Son and theMunicipal Theatre begins.

The entire tunnel isexpected to be completed by mid-2018.

According to the JapanInternational Cooperation Agency (JICA), which funded the metro project, thisis the first time that a TBM has been used in Vietnam.

The technology used withthe machine helps minimise vibrations and noise during the tunnel construction.

Metro line No. 1 willhave 19.7km of track passing through District 1 through District 2, District 9and Binh Thanh and Thu Duc districts.

Construction started inAugust 2012, with the line expected to open in 2020.

After years of delaysdue to numerous adjustments, the cost of the project has risen to more than 47trillion VND (2.49 billion USD), according to the HCM City Management Authorityfor Urban Railways.- VNA