National Highway 1A and Hanoi Highway in HCMC have always been overloaded with coaches carrying passengers from the Northern and Central regions to HCMC and cargo trucks transporting goods from industrial parks in Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces to Cat Lai and Saigon seaports in the city.
Statistics by authorized agencies show that the two highways receive over 100,000 vehicles a day on average with the volume of goods accounting for over 40 percent of the number of goods transported across the country. Traffic jam has been worse in front of Suoi Tien Cultural Amusement Park especially in holidays and at the weekend.
In order to tackle traffic jam in the eastern gateway to HCMC, the city has built an intersection in front of Vietnam National University HCMC. This is an item under the Hanoi Highway expansion project with the total length of 1.8 kilometers, starting from Suoi Tien Cultural Amusement Park to Binh Thang filling station. The intersection locates in District 9 and Thu Duc in HCMC and Di An Town in the neighboring province of Binh Duong.
Breaking ground in 2016 with the total capital of VND3,640 billion (US$156.76 million), the project broadened roads by four times and built two bridges for vehicles to quickly move out from the area.
In the northwestern gateway, work started on An Suong tunnel in January 2017. Currently the first side of the tunnel from Truong Chinh to Highway 22 has been open to traffic. Contractors are continuing building the remaining one for vehicles to travel from Tay Ninh province to HCMC.
The project having the total funds of VND514 billion ($22.14 million) will help reduce traffic jam in An Suong intersection and facilitate trade between HCMC and provinces in the Southwestern region.
In the upcoming time, the city will implement a slew of major infrastructure projects to ease traffic pressure in regularly congested spots. The Management Board on Traffic Work Construction Investment of HCMC has been assigned to build hundreds of works.
Mr. Nguyen Van Ninh, deputy director of the board said that it is waiting for the Department of Transport’s approval of the construction project of an intersection at Nguyen Van Linh-Nguyen Huu Tho crossroads in District 7 to tackle traffic gridlock there. The city People’s Committee has passed the funding plan for the VND830 billion ($35.74 million) project which will comprise many item including two tunnels, drainage and lighting system and others.
The project is expected to start construction early this year and complete two years later.
Besides, the city has been working on upgrading and broadening lots of bridges namely Pham Van Chi in District 6, Kenh Te linking District 4 up to District 7, Chu Y (Y-shaped), Nguyen Tri Phuong connecting District 5 and District 8, Tan Ky-Tan Quy connecting Tan Phu and Binh Tan District.
Bid invitation will be organized for construction of a flyover in front of the new Mien Dong (Eastern) Coach Station in District 9 this year. The VND437.1 billion ($18.82 million) project will facilitate travel in the area and create advantageous conditions for passengers from the station of Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Line to reach the coach station.
Asides from that, the Management Board has been planning construction of six projects to expand streets in entrance gateways to the city including Highways 1A, 13, 22 and 50, An Phu Intersection and Nguyen Khoai Street to connect South Saigon area and downtown HCMC.
