All nine pedestrian bridges connecting elevated stations along the first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City are projected to be completed by September this year, the municipal Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) said on Monday.

The testing of the fire prevention and control and rescue system will be conducted early next quarter.

In particular, MAUR expected to finish work on the footbridges linking Tan Cang, Rach Chiec, Phuoc Long, Binh Thai, and Saigon Hi-Tech Park Stations this month, Thao Dien and An Phu Stations in August, and Thu Duc and National Vietnam University-Ho Chi Minh City in September.

MAUR said it had received support from relevant agencies in regulating traffic and relocating trees and water supply systems at the construction sites of the nine footbridges to hand over the cleared sites to contractors.

Contractors are focusing on installing steel beams on the pedestrian bridges which have a weight limit of 46-75 metric tons each.  

They mainly work from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am and mornings on weekends to minimize the impact on traffic and reduce the risk of traffic congestion along Vo Nguyen Giap Boulevard.

MAUR told Tuoi Tre (Youth) that the boulevard and Hanoi Highway experience heavy traffic, including many container trucks heading to nearby ports, which is why they prioritized the vertical clearance of the footbridges.

They meet the standard of the minimum vertical clearance of 4.75 meters.

Metro line No. 1, the first of its kind in Ho Chi Minh City, is estimtated to cost VND43.7 trillion (US$1.8 billion).

It runs 19.7 kilometers from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City, including 2.6 kilometers of underground railways and 17.1 kilometers of elevated railways.

The route features three subterranean stations and 11 stations above ground.

City authorities have promised to start its commercial operations by the end of this year.

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