HCM CITY — HCM City's gateways to provinces in Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta as well as the central and northern regions are being expanded and upgraded to ease traffic jams and adapt to the needs of the Southern Key Economic Zone.
Since early this month, vehicles using the Sai Gon Bridge to access the Ha Noi Highway have enjoyed smoother traffic flow on the eight-lane highway.
At the Cat Lai T-junction (Ha Noi Highway – Inter-provincial Highway 25B), vehicles have been able to avoid traffic jams by using two branches of the Cat Lai flyover.
Vuong Hoang Thanh, deputy director of the management board for the East-West Highway Project as well as the HCM City Environmental Sanitation Project, said a stretch of the inter-provincial highway 25B (from Giong Oâng To Bridge to Cat Lai Traffic Intersection) had been expanded to 10 lanes, easing traffic flow to and from the Cat Lai Port.
According to Vu Kien Thiet, director of the Urban Transportation Management Unit No2, project investor for the Rach Chiec Bridge, two four-lane streets bypassing it will be finished by the end of this year.
The company would then construct the new 10-land, 48m-wide Rach Chiec Bridge, Thiet said.
Nearby, a new Suoi Cai Bridge will be constructed with 10 lanes.
The stretch of Ha Noi Highway that runs from the Rach Chiec Bridge to the Binh Thai Intersection has been expanded to 12 lanes.
The highway has been also enlarged into 10 lanes at the stretch that runs between the Binh Thai and Thu Duc intersections.
Duong Quang Chau, deputy investment director of the HCM City Infrastructure Investment JSC (CII), said the project expanding Ha Noi Highway from 4-6 lanes to 14-18 lanes was expected to be completed by the end of 2012.
The Ha Noi Highway has become a huge construction site with the Thu Duc Traffic Intersection project, Binh Thai Traffic Intersection project (both having flyovers across the Ha Noi Highway), and the Rach Chiec Bridge (District 9).
Besides, the Sai Gon 2 Bridge will soon be constructed parallel to the recently renovated Sai Gon Bridge.
Towards the Delta
Since last Tet (lunar New Year), the HCM City – Trung Luong Highway, has shortened trips to Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces by an hour, and there has been a marked reduction in traffic accidents and jams on Highway No1A (which runs from Binh Chanh District to Long An City).
According to Do Ngoc Dung, deputy general director of the My Thuan Project Management Unit, trips to the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta will be even faster when the 2.2km and six-lane road connecting Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard and HCM City – Trung Luong Highway finish.
The new road is estimated to shorten the trip by 8km.
It now takes about 20 minutes to go from Ben Thanh Market along Pho Duc Chinh Street and the East-West Highway to get to National Highway No1A (Binh Chanh District).
The National Highway No1A has become "clearer" since the East-West Highway opened flyovers for cars and pedestrians.
The My Thuan Project Management Unit is considering building a road that connects East-West Highway and HCM City – Trung Luong Highway.
When finish, it will take 30 minutes for vehicles from District 2 through Thu Thiem Tunnel and East-West Highway to get to HCM City – Trung Luong Highway.
Bus-drivers say passengers are now happier on the Truong Chinh Street-An Suong Flyover – National Highway 22 route to Cu Chi District and Tay Ninh Province.
Ever since a stretch of the Truong Chinh Street has been expanded to ten lanes, bus trips have become far more punctual.
However, the route still faces overloading and will be expanded further, says Nguyen Hong Ninh, director of Viet Nam Urban and Industrial Zone Development Investment Corporation (IDICO).
This gateway will be expaned in coming years by constructing a four-lane flyover on National Highway No1A from Thu Duc District to the An Suong Intersection, and from An Suong Intersection along National Highway No22 to the Cu Chi flyover. The total cost of these constructions is estimated at VND19 trillion.
Meanwhile, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia (District 3) and Nguyen Van Troi (Phu Nhuan and Tan Binh Districts) streets have been expanded into six lanes, considerably easing traffic flow.
The expansion into six lanes of the Phan Dinh Giot Street which connects Nguyen Van Troi and Truong Son streets is underway.
Once the expansion is completed by the end of this year, traffic to the Tan Son Nhat Airport will become much smoother, experts say.
Construction of the Tan Son Nhi – Binh Loi route, which began in June 2008, is set for completion in 2012.
Residents of provinces located to the east of HCM City like Dong Nai and Ba Ria Vung Tau will then be able to reach the Tan Son Nhat Airport using this route, considerably easing traffic congestion concerns for about 15 million passengers every year. — VNS
