Hà Nội to build $3.4m pedestrian tunnel in Hoàn Kiếm District

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội plans to construct a pedestrian tunnel, worth about VNĐ80 billion (US$3.44 million), connecting Trần Nguyên Hãn Street and Chương Dương Độ Street in Hoàn Kiếm District.

The pedestrian tunnel is scheduled to be finished before October 10 next year, the 65th anniversary of Hà Nội’s Liberation Day.

The construction is part of a list of 21 medium-term public-investment projects recently approved by the People’s Council of Hà Nội.

The pedestrian tunnel is set to be 18m wide and connect the two streets, which are separated by several other busy streets. Its two doors are designed to automatically open and close for flood drainage in the storm and rainy season.

The investment capital will come from the State budget, Lao động (Labour) newspaper reported.

According to the council, the People’s Committee of Hoàn Kiếm District was assigned to implement the project.

Following the project, the city will also plant more green trees near the tunnel and broaden the width of a section of Chương Dương Độ Street. The scheduled width of the section, connecting the Hồng (Red) River dyke and Bạch Đằng Street, is about 17m.

Currently, the council has asked the People’s Committee of Hà Nội to get a written agreement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on designed criteria, technical solutions and scale of the project because the construction relates to the river’s dyke system. — VNS