HCM CITY — A project to build a second branch of a double tunnel at An Sương intersection in HCM City’s District 12 has been suspended because affected households have refused to move and accept the compensation amount.

The information was released by the Urban Transport Management Zone No 3 under the city’s Department of Transport on Tuesday, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Site clearance on the tunnel, which would link District 12 and Hóc Môn District, has been slow because of the households’ refusal to move, according to Lê Văn Độ, head of the Urban Transport Management Zone No 3’s Project Management Unit 2.

In September last year, Hóc Môn District People’s Committee approved a plan on site clearance compensation and resettlement, but most households opposed the proposed compensation amount.

The project, which was expected to be completed by the end of last year, has been extended to the end of this year.

The project requires clearance of land and removal of 41 households near National Highway 22 in Bà Điểm Commune. Compensation costs VNĐ55 billion (US$2.37 million), under an approved plan by the Hóc Môn District People’s Committee.

According to Project Management Unit 2, only seven households have agreed to the compensation amount. The remaining households have asked for a higher rate. 

The Urban Transport Management Zone No 3 has asked the Hóc Môn District People’s Committee to resolve the compensation disagreements.

The district’s People’s Committee has also been asked to approve the resettlement plan for the affected households.

The second branch tunnel is expected to be completed within six months after the land is handed over.

As of December, the second tunnel project had completed all seven open tunnel sections on Trường Chinh Street and four out of five closed tunnel sections. 

The remaining work to be done on National Highway 22 was suspended due to ground clearance problems.

Construction on the double tunnel at An Sương intersection began in early 2017.

The first branch, which extends from downtown to outlying Củ Chi District, opened in March last year after nearly 13 months of construction.

The double tunnel project, with total capital of VNĐ514 billion ($22.14 million), was originally expected to be completed within 20 months.

The total length of the two tunnels is about 850m. Each two-lane tunnel is 9m wide and 125m long, with a ceiling height of 4.75m.

The maximum speed for automobiles in the tunnels will be 50km per hour.

The tunnels, which will have a life span of 100 years, were built to resist earthquakes measuring 7 on the Richter scale.

An Sương intersection is a junction of several main streets, including Trường Chinh Street and National Highway No 22.

The tunnel work is expected to ease traffic congestion at the intersection, which is known for numerous accidents and traffic jams. — VNS