Hanoi adds greenery to urban railway pillars, underpasses, flyovers

The department has initially assigned specialized units to carry out the trial at three elevated railway pillars on Nguyen Trai Street in front of the Royal City building, the Le Van Luong-To Huu underpass, the Le Van Luong-Lang Ha flyover, and three bus shelters on Le Thanh Tong Street, Tran Phu Street and at 69 Ly Thuong Kiet Street.

The three railway pillars on Nguyen Trai Street have already been covered with greenery.

Workers installed steel trellises around the pillars, leaving suitable gaps between the frames and the concrete surfaces to allow plants to grow while facilitating inspections and maintenance.

At the Le Van Luong-Lang Ha flyover, workers have renovated existing planting areas. 

Some sections containing aging plants have been cleared and replaced with rows of bamboo along both sides of the flyover approaches.

Meanwhile, planting work has not yet begun at the Le Van Luong-To Huu underpass. 

Under the announced plan, plant pots will be arranged in clusters along the upper edges of the underpass walls, beneath the railings, over a stretch of about 300 meters.

Hoang Anh Khang, a resident of Hoang Mai Ward in Hanoi, said greening concrete structures such as railway pillars, underpasses and flyovers would improve the urban landscape, create more green spaces and make the city more pleasant.

"Hanoi is crowded and densely built up, so more trees are needed to improve the environment, make the air cleaner, and create a greener and more attractive landscape," Khang said.

Phan Danh Xuan, a resident of Khuong Dinh Ward in Hanoi, expressed hope that the city would soon expand the model to more roads and public areas.

He said locations suitable for planting greenery should be utilized to increase green coverage, improve the urban landscape, soften the stark appearance of concrete structures, and create a living environment more connected to nature.