Construction has officially begun on the Pham Van Bach underground station, a key component of the Ben Thanh - Tham Luong metro line in Ho Chi Minh City. On July 2, contractors started lowering steel cages to a depth of 41 meters to construct a 1.2-meter thick retaining wall. This phase of the project signifies a transition from preparatory work to the main construction phase on-site.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Authority (MAUR), the retaining wall at Pham Van Bach station will stretch approximately 534 meters and is expected to be completed within six months. The wall will serve to stabilize the excavation site by holding back soil and water, ultimately becoming a load-bearing part of the station's structure.

Pham Van Bach station is strategically located near Tan Son Nhat International Airport and is the last underground station before the metro line transitions to an elevated section at Tan Binh station. The station is designed with two underground levels, featuring ticketing areas, functional rooms, and passenger drop-off zones.

MAUR has emphasized the technical requirements for constructing the retaining wall, which include strict quality control of materials and safety measures for workers. Given the high traffic density in the area, the project has implemented barriers and traffic management strategies to minimize disruptions to local residents.

Phan Cong Bang, head of MAUR, noted that both Pham Van Bach and Le Thi Rieng stations on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street will be equipped with Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) for the construction of the metro line's tunnel. As a result, these two stations are prioritized for early implementation, with the goal of completing them by the third quarter of 2027 to facilitate TBM installation and operation.

The Ben Thanh - Tham Luong metro line project, which broke ground in mid-January, has a total investment of over 55 trillion VND. The line will span nearly 11.3 kilometers, starting from Ben Thanh station and ending at the Tham Luong depot, with more than 9 kilometers of underground track. The entire project is slated for completion by 2030, establishing a major transport corridor connecting downtown Ho Chi Minh City with the northwest region of the city.