National Highway 13 bottleneck strangles HCMC’s economy

Nguyen Trung Quan from Hiep Binh Phuoc Ward of Thu Duc City described the decades-long commuter nightmare on National Highway 13, particularly the Duc Nho Bridge bottleneck. Its narrowness forces a slow crawl, with just two cars blocking traffic, creating constant congestion due to the highway’s six lanes converging onto the bridge’s four.

56-year-old Tran Van Quoc, who has been living in Hiep Binh Phuoc Ward for more than 30 years, witnesses the daily gridlock on National Highway 13. “Between 7 – 10 a.m., the road becomes severely congested,” he observed. “The increasing volume of container trucks and heavy vehicles in recent years has only exacerbated the problem. I sincerely hope that the road expansion project will be implemented soon to alleviate the daily struggles of commuters.”

According to the HCMC Department of Transportation and Public Works, the section of National Highway 13 between Binh Trieu Bridge and Binh Phuoc Intersection has been critically overloaded for two decades, posing a significant impediment to trade and commerce between the city and neighboring provinces. The situation worsened after Binh Duong Province initiated its own expansion of National Highway 13 (from the HCMC border to Thu Dau Mot City) by adding two lanes in April 2022, channeling even greater traffic volume into the already congested section within HCMC.

The project to widen National Highway 13 from the Binh Trieu Bridge to Binh Phuoc Intersection has been under consideration for an extended period. The project has seen three changes in project ownership, from Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No.5 JSC. (Cienco 5) to Ho Chi Minh City Infrastructure Investment JSC. (CII), and currently the Transportation Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority of HCMC.

The National Highway 13 expansion project has been plagued by setbacks for over two decades. Initially proposed in 2002, the HCMC People’s Committee envisioned widening the road from 32m to 50m with an estimated expense of VND1.6 trillion (US$62.8 million), but the project stalled due to funding constraints. In 2005, ownership transferred to CII under a BOT model, only for the company to withdraw five years later, citing prohibitive land acquisition costs.

Further delays ensued. In 2017, a moratorium on BOT projects shifted funding to the state budget. A new proposal, submitted in 2019, envisioned a larger upgrade with a substantial budget increase to VND10 trillion ($392 million), targeting completion by 2023. Despite these efforts, the long-awaited expansion remains unrealized, leaving commuters to endure the persistent congestion.

Director Tran Quang Lan of the HCMC Department of Transportation and Public Works shared that the National Highway 13 expansion from Binh Trieu Bridge to Binh Phuoc Intersection will be implemented under National Assembly Resolution 98, which pilots specific mechanisms and policies for HCMC’s development, permitting BOT investment for road upgrades and expansions.

Based on this resolution, the HCMC People’s Council approved this investment plan to expand National Highway 13 from Binh Trieu Bridge to the Binh Duong Province border in September 2023. To expedite the project lifecycle and attract investors, the consulting unit proposed a funding split, with the state budget covering 70 percent (primarily land clearance) and investors contributing 30 percent. Construction costs would be covered under a BOT or PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model.

Among the alternatives being considered, the municipal Department of Transportation and Public Works and consulting units are exploring the construction of a tolled elevated road while those using the existing road would not. The HCMC People’s Committee has approved the project implementation plan, with construction expected to begin later this year and be completed in 2028, added Director Tran Quang Lam.

Vice Chairman Ha Ngoc Truong of the HCMC Bridge and Port Association shared that the elevated design is considered advantageous due to its avoidance of at-grade intersections, facilitating smoother traffic flow and high-speed lanes.

HCMC is also considering building elevated roads along Dinh Bo Linh and Xo Viet Nghe Tinh streets using state budget funds, which would connect the National Highway 13 elevated section to Dien Bien Phu Street at the Hang Xanh Intersection, significantly contributing to resolving this bottleneck and boosting the city’s economic growth.