An EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract to build the overhead section of the metro’s first route linking Ben Thanh Market with Suoi Tien Tourism Park in District 9 was signed on May 16.

Under the contract, signed with the HCM City Management Authority for Urban Railways, a consortium of Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation and Vietnam’s Civil Engineering Construction Corp No6 (Cienco 6) will design, survey, execute, supply equipment, test, operate, offer utility services, and maintain stations.

The overhead section, from Ba Son Ship Yard in District 1, running through Van Thanh and Tan Cang in Binh Thanh District and the Hanoi Highway, to Suoi Tien Park, will be 17.1 km long and have 11 stations.

It will cost VND15.3 trillion (US$732 million).

The 19.7 km line-the remaining 2.6 kilometres will be underground-is divided into three packages.

The other packages are for construction of the underground section between Ben Thanh market and Ba Son Shipyard and for mechanical-electrical devices and maintenance.

Line No1 will totally cost VND47 trillion (US$2.25 billion), with 88.4 percent coming from Japanese official development assistance and the rest from the city.

Construction is expected to be finished by the end of 2018.