HÀ NỘI - About 109 mahogany trees, 24 of which are ancient trees on Kim Mã Street (Hà Nội), will either be relocated or cut down to make way for the metro line Nhổn – Hà Nội Railway Station. 

The Management Board of Hà Nội Urban Railway project held a press conference today on the plan to relocate trees on Kim Mã Street to make way for the construction of the pilot urban railway No. 3, the Nhổn – Hà Nội Railway Station section.

According to the management board, the relocation will be carried out with trees that have been planted on Kim Mã’s pavement, specifically, the section from Voi Phục temple to 575 Kim Mã. The relocation process will begin this month and is expected to be completed within 90 days. BeePro Company is in charge of carrying out the plan.

The Board also said that the Hà Nội Construction Department had granted permission for the felling, pruning, and relocating of 109 trees on this street. Among them, 106 are healthy trees planted within the land clearance boundaries, three are ill and show signs of decay. Additionally, two trees that are dead will be felled. Also, one will need to be pruned because part of its branches hang over onto the construction site.

As per the plan, the departments will first relocate those mahogany trees with diameters smaller than 40cm, then move on to those with diameter larger than 40cm.

All trees will be relocated to a plant nursery for maintenance in Văn Giang, Hưng Yên province. After one year, these trees will be brought back and replanted on Hà Nội streets.

To date, the Hà Nội Department of Construction, the Management Board of Hà Nội urban railway, the People’s Committee of Ba Đình District, and the People’s Committee of Ngọc Khánh Ward have examined and verified the type, size, status, as well as treatments of all trees to be transplanted.

The tree relocation expenses will be paid by the project’s management board; however, the cost estimate has not yet been announced.

The urban railway No.3 - the section between Nhổn and the Hà Nội Railway Station - is about 12.5km long. The project’s total cost is expected to be US$1.18 billion. Construction began in September 2010 and is scheduled for completion in November 2018. - VNS