The Mai Chi Tho - Dong Van Cong intersection within the An Phu intersection project is expected to be partially closed for 4 months to construct items causing congestion concerns.
The plan to close part of the above intersection in parallel with reorganizing the directions is being studied by the city's transport sector, in order to speed up the construction of closed tunnels, bridge piers... in this area. These are items of the An Phu intersection project, Thu Duc City, which is being implemented with a total investment of more than 3,400 billion VND.
According to the preliminary plan, vehicles from Mai Chi Tho Street heading towards the Saigon River Tunnel, instead of turning left through Dong Van Cong to Cat Lai Port as at present, will go nearly 500m further, turn around at route D1 to return to the intersection. The turning points, forks... of Mai Chi Tho Street are being renovated to organize traffic before the construction of closed tunnel segments. This tunnel section is expected to be completed in September if the plan to close part of the above intersection is approved at the end of April.
Current status of Mai Chi Tho - Dong Van Cong intersection, mid-April 2024. Photo: Thanh Tung
An Phu is the largest intersection in Ho Chi Minh City, connecting major traffic axes including Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway, Mai Chi Tho Avenue, Luong Dinh Cua Street, Nguyen Thi Dinh, Dong Van Cong. This is also the gateway to Cat Lai - the largest port in the country in terms of cargo volume, so it attracts many container trucks passing through, an average of more than 20,000 trips per day.
Driver Van Binh, 40 years old, who often transports goods through the above area, said that An Phu intersection is a point where traffic jams are often common, and recently it has become more tense when some sections of construction barriers have narrowed the road surface. In the afternoon and on weekends, the high traffic volume causes hundreds of meters of congestion on the highway ramps, Mai Chi Tho, Luong Dinh Cua... waiting to pass the intersection. These routes allow two-way traffic, with many lanes. Therefore, when the red light is over, vehicles from all directions intertwine to go straight, turn left, right, or make a U-turn, which is very difficult.
"Motorbikes and 4-7 seater cars can easily get through the inner lane, but container trucks have to queue up, sometimes taking more than 30 minutes to get a few hundred meters through An Phu intersection," said driver Binh, adding that when a part of Mai Chi Tho - Dong Van Cong intersection is closed in this area, it is difficult to avoid congestion because vehicles have to go around to turn around to enter Cat Lai. Meanwhile, in the opposite direction, vehicles from Dong Van Cong Street when returning to the Saigon River Tunnel also have to go back to An Phu intersection to turn around, potentially increasing traffic pressure in this area.
Mr. Lam Dai Vinh, Director of Lam Vinh Transport Company Limited, a company with 40 container trucks, is also concerned about traffic jams affecting vehicles entering Cat Lai port because Dong Van Cong Street is currently the main route leading to this place. In case of increased traffic jams, longer transportation times will also incur additional costs for the company. "If the above plan is applied, construction needs to be accelerated to avoid the situation where many projects after being barricaded are slow, affecting people's travel and causing damage to the transport unit," he said.
Dense traffic through An Phu intersection, April 2024. Photo: Thanh Tung
Mr. Bui Van Quan, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Freight Transport Association, said that if a part of the intersection is closed according to the above plan, it will not greatly affect the straight direction of Mai Chi Tho Street, but will cause difficulties for vehicles turning onto Dong Van Cong Street. Although he agrees that this is a necessary solution to build a closed tunnel and speed up the construction progress, he said that before implementing it, it is necessary to consult with related units, such as local authorities, the Traffic Safety Committee, the transport association, etc. to build the most suitable plan.
Meanwhile, a representative of the Department of Transport said that the agency is holding meetings and running simulations according to different scenarios to calculate the optimal solution, harmonizing construction measures and traffic organization in the area. The adjustment is not only localized at the above intersection, but also widely deployed in surrounding areas. The Department will coordinate with relevant forces to study remote traffic diversion solutions with other suitable routes, limiting vehicles from gathering at points with high traffic pressure to limit congestion.
"In addition, when reorganizing traffic, units will closely monitor and have a quick response force to promptly adjust and handle any problems immediately," said a representative of the Department of Transport.
Perspective of An Phu intersection when completed. Photo: TCIP
Mr. Luong Minh Phuc, Director of the HCM City Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Board (investor), said that the An Phu intersection project is now entering an important construction phase. Many major items require space and urgent progress to adhere to the general plan. The goal is to complete the project as soon as possible to help reduce congestion in the area.
Previously, in the condition of concentrating on construction while minimizing the impact on people's travel, the units had to implement each item in turn. This took a lot of time, so the plan to occupy part of the Mai Chi Tho - Vo Chi Cong intersection was considered to quickly implement some large items.
"In this way, the construction time will be shortened by about 3-4 months. Of which, the tunnel section through the intersection is expected to be completed in September this year, and the two overpasses will be completed in June 2025," said Mr. Phuc, adding that the traffic diversion and reorganization will be carefully calculated, but it is still difficult to avoid affecting people's travel. Therefore, the city's transport sector hopes to receive support to speed up the progress of this key project.
Construction began in late 2022, with the three-storey An Phu interchange project, including a two-way underpass connecting the Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway with Mai Chi Tho Street (the Saigon River tunnel side), extending through the Mai Chi Tho - Dong Van Cong intersection. Above, the interchange has two overpasses connecting Mai Chi Tho and Luong Dinh Cua routes with the expressway access road.
As for the Mai Chi Tho - Dong Van Cong intersection, in addition to the underpass extending through here, two overpasses were built to connect these routes together. The existing Giong Ong To bridge on Dong Van Cong route also has two additional branches built next to it to increase the area. According to the plan, the entire An Phu intersection project will be completed in 2025, in addition to reducing traffic congestion, it will also increase connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City and the Southeast region.
Gia Minh
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