Twelve projects launched to open gateways to the city.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee is planning to implement 12 road expansion and bridge construction projects to eliminate the frequent traffic congestion at four gateways to the city. Of these, five projects will be implemented under a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) contract mechanism, a special mechanism approved by the National Assembly for pilot implementation in Ho Chi Minh City under Resolution 98. These include: Upgrading and expanding National Highway 13 (from Binh Trieu Bridge to the border with Binh Duong province); Upgrading and expanding National Highway 1 (from Kinh Duong Vuong Street to the border with Long An province); Renovating and upgrading National Highway 22 (from An Suong intersection to Ring Road 3); Upgrading the North-South arterial road, the section from Nguyen Van Linh Street to the Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway; and constructing the Binh Tien bridge and road (from Pham Van Chi Street to Nguyen Van Linh Street).
Looking at the list above, it's easy to see the expansion project of National Highway 13 – a project holding the record for the longest time "on paper" after 22 years of arduous adjustments. At the same time, it also has the largest total investment, estimated at over 13,800 billion VND. As a vital route connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong , and leading to the Central Highlands provinces, the nearly 6 km section from Binh Trieu Bridge to the Binh Duong provincial border will be expanded to 53-60 meters. Currently, with the high density of vehicles, this 6-lane gateway is frequently overloaded.
Hope to escape the nightmare of traffic congestion thanks to the project to expand the main roads leading into Ho Chi Minh City.
In particular, the section crossing Ong Dau Bridge, with only four lanes, creates a "bottleneck," causing congestion to spread throughout the surrounding roads. To temporarily "remedy" the situation, the Center for Road Infrastructure Management (Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport) recently completed the expansion of Ong Dau Bridge by building an additional temporary bridge, extending the bridge by about 2 meters to the right, allowing vehicles to pass more quickly. Therefore, the expansion of the entire National Highway 13 is as eagerly awaited by the people of Thu Duc City as the dream of a metro system becoming a reality.
Ho Chi Minh City is implementing projects to alleviate traffic congestion at its northeastern gateway.
Along with the expansion of National Highway 13, the eastern gateway to Ho Chi Minh City is also preparing for the implementation of two more projects: the expansion of Ung Van Khiem Street and the construction of the five-way intersection at the War Memorial. Ung Van Khiem Street, from the five-way intersection at the War Memorial to Tan Cang Tourist Area (Binh Thanh District), has long been a traffic congestion hotspot. During morning and evening rush hours, thousands of vehicles move slowly in a long queue, turning the road into a "forest of people" inching forward amidst dust and fumes. These two projects are also part of a cluster of projects aimed at improving traffic flow at the eastern gateway, "lined up" alongside National Highway 13 for over two decades due to financial constraints.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport, Resolution 98 allows Ho Chi Minh City to apply a deferred payment method using the budget, instead of paying investors with land funds as before. The Ung Van Khiem project and the construction of the five-way intersection at the War Memorial are among the priority projects to be implemented under the BT (Build-Transfer) model. It is expected that Ung Van Khiem road will be widened to a 30-meter width, with 6 lanes, a length of 1.7 km, extending from the five-way intersection at the War Memorial to Tan Cang restaurant. At the five-way intersection at the War Memorial, a roundabout with a diameter of 22.5 meters will be built above ground, with an underpass designed below.
In the western part of the city, during weekends and peak holiday periods, National Highways 1 and 22 turn into giant "parking lots" stretching from Truong Chinh and Cong Hoa streets. Therefore, in addition to focusing on expanding these two national highways, the expansion of Truong Chinh and Tan Ky Tan Quy roads is also identified as a strategic project in the coming period. According to the plan, Truong Chinh road (the section from Cong Hoa street to Au Co street, 765 m long) will be expanded to 30 m for 6 lanes of traffic, approximately three times wider than the existing road surface, and equal to Tan Ky Tan Quy road (the section from Cong Hoa street to Le Trong Tan street, 636 m long) after completion of the expansion.
These two projects were conceived in 2005 when traffic congestion became severe, but due to limited funding, they could not be implemented. Nearby, Vinh Loc road (located in Binh Chanh District and Binh Tan District) has also recently been proposed for upgrading and widening to 30 meters to create a synchronized traffic connection between Binh Chanh, Binh Tan, and Hoc Mon District at the western gateway of Ho Chi Minh City.
In the south, both the Binh Tien bridge and road project and the upgrade of the North-South arterial road will be implemented under the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) model, expected to start construction in 2025 and be completed in 2028. Along with the Nguyen Khoai bridge and road project, which has already submitted its pre-feasibility study, these three projects, upon completion, are estimated to reduce traffic congestion on Nguyen Van Linh road by over 50%, directly connecting the city center to Ring Road 2. Furthermore, the Thu Thiem 4 bridge will alleviate pressure at the Huynh Tan Phat - Nguyen Van Linh intersection and the Tan Thuan Industrial Park, providing a faster connection from the Thu Thiem new urban area to the southern part of the city.
The projects are being implemented urgently.
Looking back, engineer Vu Thang, former Deputy Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Infrastructure Investment Preparation Board, points out that all projects to open up the city's gateways have been planned and implemented many years ago. This shows that from many previous terms, generations of city leaders have recognized the importance of key transportation routes connecting different regions. However, for a long time, the city focused on solving the problem of inner-city traffic, expanding and building new urban road networks inside. Meanwhile, the basic principle is that if traffic outside is congested, it is impossible to organize smooth inner-city traffic.
The Nguyen Van Linh - Nguyen Huu Tho intersection is scheduled to be temporarily closed for 8 months for construction work.
In the current context, the North-South expressway network is rapidly developing, and the Ring Road 3 and Ring Road 2 are also under pressure to be completed as quickly as possible. Not to mention that many national highways passing through other localities have also been expanded. Therefore, the city has no choice but to prioritize the immediate completion of gateway projects. Otherwise, they will become "bottlenecks" that not only cause traffic congestion in the inner city but also disrupt the trade and economic lifeline of the entire region.
Mr. Tran Quang Lam, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport, affirmed that never before have projects faced such favorable conditions for implementation and rapid completion as they do now. Currently, all projects have clearly defined policies, mechanisms, funding sources, detailed implementation timelines, and are prioritized for promotion by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. For example, the Department of Transport is currently preparing pre-feasibility studies for 5 projects implemented under BOT contracts, striving to submit investment approvals in the second quarter, and to complete feasibility studies and organize bidding to select investors by the end of the year.
By 2025, construction will begin on these five strategic projects. The Thu Thiem 4 bridge project has completed its feasibility study and submitted it to the Department of Planning and Investment for pre-feasibility review… In addition, the city has three Ring Roads (2, 3, and 4) all under construction. Ring Road 3 is progressing according to schedule; Ring Road 2 has received approval and is completing all eastern sections (from Vo Chi Cong Street to National Highway 1). Ring Road 4 is also undergoing a pre-feasibility study and will be implemented one phase after Ring Road 3, with completion expected around 2027.
Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport Tran Quang Lam
The radial and closed-loop national highway network will directly connect to the expressways that the Ministry of Transport is currently researching for expansion, including the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong expressway and the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway. Ho Chi Minh City has also proactively invested in the An Phu interchange, built parallel roads to the expressways, and is expanding Luong Dinh Cua road... By 2025, basic connectivity with the expanded expressways will be ensured. In addition, the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai expressway and the Ho Chi Minh City - Thu Dau Mot - Chon Thanh expressway are also being prioritized for implementation.
"All strategic projects are being urgently implemented and will certainly be built and completed in the next few years. At that time, urban space and infrastructure will be expanded, and people will see a very different picture of the city's transportation system," affirmed Tran Quang Lam, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transportation.
Don't let the traffic congestion removal project become the "culprit" causing traffic jams.
However, while waiting for the gateways to reopen, in the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, the streets of Ho Chi Minh City were bustling with traffic, congested from early morning until late at night. The greater the fear of traffic jams, the greater the joy and anticipation at the news that transportation projects were "moving" and accelerating. But this excitement was accompanied by anxiety because the simultaneous commencement and construction of projects also meant turning the city into a massive construction site. While at the end of the year, road digging and barricades for large projects in the city center were gradually removed, construction barriers began to "move" to the gateways.
Typically, the Nguyen Van Linh - Nguyen Huu Tho intersection (District 7) is the biggest bottleneck, suffocating traffic in the southern part of Ho Chi Minh City. Every morning, starting at 7 a.m., long lines of tanker trucks, lorries, and cars fill both lanes, stretching for over 1 km from the intersection with the East-West road (Phuoc Kien commune, Nha Be district) to the Nguyen Van Linh - Nguyen Huu Tho roundabout. The Rach Dia Bridge, twice a day, morning and afternoon, becomes a giant "parking lot" with motorbikes crammed into the car lanes and even onto the pedestrian walkway. Each time the investor announces expansion or increased construction speed, the road surface area narrows further. Then, potholes and uneven surfaces appear, making traffic even more difficult and slower.
Most recently, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport announced that in the next phase, the entire intersection will need to be barricaded to begin construction of three main tunnel sections right in the middle of the Nguyen Van Linh - Nguyen Huu Tho intersection. Just reading the news about the closure of this intersection has caused great concern among many residents living in Phuoc Kien commune, Nha Be district.
"The barriers were just put up and traffic was already congested all day. Now they're closing everything down completely, how are people supposed to get through? We'll probably have to rent a plane to get to work soon," Ngoc Huyen texted a neighbor after hearing the news that the Nguyen Van Linh - Nguyen Huu Tho intersection was about to be closed. Many people even considered renting temporary accommodation near their workplaces during the construction period because while motorbikes can still maneuver through the traffic, with so many container trucks and cars, "how will anyone get around? They'll be forced onto other roads that aren't even wide enough, and the congestion will only get worse."
Notably, the Nguyen Van Linh - Nguyen Huu Tho intersection underpass project, which commenced in April 2020 and was expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023 to alleviate traffic congestion in the southern part of the city, has been temporarily suspended after reaching approximately 35% completion due to difficulties in relocating technical infrastructure. It is now expected to be completed by the end of this year.
"Throughout the city, numerous projects, expected to be key to reducing traffic congestion, have ultimately stalled, been delayed, and become the 'culprits' causing traffic jams, leaving people extremely frustrated. Everyone wants new bridges and wider roads, but we hope the city leaders will closely monitor and expedite construction so that each project is completed before moving on. Don't let projects be started and then put on hold, dragging on, saying they'll take 8 months but taking years. People already suffer from traffic congestion, and that only makes things worse," Ms. Ngoc Huyen expressed.
Representatives from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport acknowledged that 2024 will continue to be a year of projects, with a very large workload for the transport sector. During this period, key projects to expand and connect the city's gateways are accelerating, inevitably impacting the lives of residents. "The transport sector hopes for the understanding and cooperation of the public, creating favorable conditions for the projects to be completed and become effective. We will closely coordinate with relevant units to accelerate construction progress, tighten inspection and management of the construction process, restore road surfaces, and develop reasonable traffic diversion plans to ensure optimal traffic flow for residents," said the representative from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport.
In the two years from 2024 to 2025, Ho Chi Minh City is expected to focus on preparing for investment in 51 strategic transportation projects (including drafting, submitting for appraisal, approving adjustments to investment policies, approving investment policies for projects, and approving investment projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) method), while accelerating the investment preparation process for 19 projects already included in the 2021-2025 medium-term plan. According to calculations, the capital investment needed for the 59 strategic projects from now until 2030 is 231,048 billion VND. Of this, 12 projects aimed at improving gateway access account for over 67,000 billion VND.
Source link
Comment (0)