Accordingly, the Municipal People’s Committee has proposed the National Highway No.13 renovation and expansion project since 2002. Initially, HCMC expected to expand highway to 60 meters in width with a total investment capital of over VND4,700 billion (US$207 million); however, the shortage of capital made the road width reduce to 43 meters with a total investment of nearly VND3,200 billion (US$141 million).
The Municipal Department of Transport then submitted the proposal to the HCMC People’s Council for approval of the National Highway No.13 renovation and expansion project starting from Binh Phuoc Crossroads to the Binh Trieu Bridge with a total length of around 5.5 kilometers in Thu Duc City. The project is being planned for investment and will be implemented from now to 2025.
According to the Transportation Works Construction Investment Project Management Board of Ho Chi Minh City, the project is expected to be under construction in advance 2023 with a total investment of VND9,992 billion (US$439 million) from the city budget.
Aside from that, HCMC has other key projects whose implementation has been delayed due to the capital shortage. Of these, the city will concentrate on transport projects in Thu Duc City and the surrounding areas of Tan Son Nhat Airport by 2025 including a road connecting Tran Quoc Hoan Street with Cong Hoa Street, expansion of Hoang Hoa Tham Street, renovation of Cong Hoa Street.
Besides, the city strives to expand the gateways in the East and in the West, the National Highway 1A, National Highway No.13, National Highway No.50 and the National Highway No.22. Especially, the HCMC – Moc Bai expressway project is expected to start work in 2023 and complete in 2025.
As the complicated and unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, the city budget is forecast to be hugely affected in the upcoming time. With the allocation of VND142,557 billion (US$6.3 billion) to the city's budget approved by the National Assembly, it is difficult to to implement key transport projects, connecting the city with surrounding localities in accordance with the Prime Minister’s direction including the Ring Roads No.2, No.3, No.4, HCMC- Moc Bai expressway, HCMC – Thu Dau Mot – Chon Thanh expressway and other key projects approved by the HCMC People’s Committee.
In order to speed up the key transport projects in the period of 2021 – 2030, the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City assigned the Municipal Department of Planning and Investment to collaborate with relevant departments, agencies and units to study mechanisms, policies and mobilize sources to promote the investment activities. Of which, it is necessary to call for and select investors into the projects under public-private partnership in accordance with regulations in this field.
