The total cost for the second route of the first-ever subway system in Ho Chi Minh City may rise more than 50 percent from initial estimates, the municipal administration has said.

The new estimated cost for the 48km Ben Thanh-Tham Luong metro route is US$2.07 billion, instead of the $1.34 billion originally estimated, according to an inspection of the implementation of the project in March.

The cost inspection was conducted by the project’s sponsors, including the Asian Development Bank, German KFW Bank, and the European Investment Bank, according to the Ho Chi Minh City administration.

The Ben Thanh metro station is located in District 1, whereas Tham Luong sits in District 12.

The Ben Thanh-Tham Luong route is the second of eight metro lines to be built as part of the under-construction subway system in the southern metropolis.

The city’s administration is slated to seek approval from Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for the $726 million cost overrun, which is 51 percent of the initial estimate, by the end of this month.

The higher estimates are due mostly to the cost overrun in building the underground terminals and tunnels for the route, whose construcution expenses have risen from $404 million to $1.16 billion.

The first metro line, from Ben Thanh Station to Suoi Tien Station in District 9, has also seen its estimated investment double, from $1.2 billion to $2.49 billion.

The 19.7-km No.1 route is expected to be completed in 2019.

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