On the construction site of the tunnel beneath My Thuy intersection, District 2, workers were still busily working during the Tet holidays.
Mr. Le Thanh My from the Mekong Delta region said that he used to return home to celebrate the Tet in previous years. This year, he voluntarily stayed to meet the work’s requirement. After the holidays when all workers would returned to work, he and other holiday workers would go home to meet their families.
Mr. Le Ngoc Hung, director of Urban Traffic Management Zone 2, said that the tunnel has been expected to open to traffic three months before schedule to reduce pressure for roads to Cat Lai seaport.
My Thuy intersection project comprises two phases. The first phase having the total capital of VND838 billion, started construction in June 2016 and expected to complete on April 30 this year.
Similar working atmosphere was seen in An Suong crossroads, District 12. Engineer Nguyen Van Dong from the central region said that was the second year he stayed on the construction work during the Tet holidays. Many workers and engineers tried to complete the project on schedule.
Currently they are building flyovers and tunnel approach roads in the direction from HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway to My Thuy intersection.
Mr. Pham Ngoc Dung, deputy director of Urban Traffic Management Zone 3 under the HCMC Transport Department, said that Branch N1 from Tham Luong to Cu Chi of An Suong tunnel is scheduled to complete in March. So the zone management must encourage workers to work in the duration of New Year celebration to ensure the project progress.
They took advantage of the low number of vehicles in traffic during the holidays to construct on the ground items.
Mr. Dung said that those who worked on Tet days would enjoy bonus and could return home to meet their relatives after Tet.
An Suong tunnel began construction in January 2017, connecting Districts 12, Hoc Mon and Cu Chi with the city downtown with the total capital of over VND514 billion (US$22.6 million).
Besides the two above works, HCMC has implemented a slew of other works such as expansion of Hanoi Highway expansion and construction of Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line, Thu Thiem 2 bridge and a bridge connecting Mai Chi Tho boulevard and Kim Cuong island in District 2.
Director of HCMC Transport Department Bui Xuan Cuong said that the transport industry had set the target of building 106 kilometers of new roads and 21 bridges last year and this year it planed to start construction of 26 new works and complete 14 projects.
