VietNamNet Bridge – Plans to convert Nguyen Hue Street in downtown HCM City to a pedestrian street are still on paper as the Saigontourist Holding Company waits for approval from the HCM City People's Committee.

Tran Hung Viet, deputy general director of Saigontourist, said in August 2009 the HCM City People's Committee assigned State-run Saigontourist as the investor and told the company to devise a plan.

Under the company's two-phase plan submitted to the People's Committee, the first phase will widen the two pavements of the street, bury power and telecommunications wires underground, plant trees along the street and erect both functional and decorative lighting.

The second phase will build two-story underground areas on the street for trade and service purposes.

The project will totally cost about VND4 trillion (US$210 million). Of that figure, the first phase will cost about VND50-70 billion.

After the construction is completed, there will be an uninterrupted connection with the eating and drinking areas of Ben Thanh Market and the shopping areas of Dong Khoi Street.

Viet said the city had asked several departments and others to conduct a survey of the area where the two-storey underground area would be located on Nguyen Hue Street.

"We don't know when the survey will be completed, so we can't give out the official time when the project will begin," he said.

Nguyen Quang Toan, deputy head of the city Department of Planning and Architecture, said the Japan-based Nikken Sekkei Civil Joint-Stock Company was developing plans for the underground areas in the city's centre. The plans are expected to be completed early this year.

After the survey and plan are completed, the investor then must make detailed plans to relocate any existing underground works that could be affected by the street project, and submit the plan to the People's Committee for consideration, Toan said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News