HCMC to invest $1.5bln on key traffic routes

Ho Chi Minh City plans to funnel VND37 trillion ($1.5 billion) into five traffic projects under build-operate-transfer (BOT) contracts.

The first project is to expand the section of National Highway No. 1 running from the An Lac intersection to the Mekong Delta’s Long An province. The 9.6 km long, four-lane stretch will be widened to eight lanes, at a cost of nearly VND12.9 trillion ($538 million).

The second project is to scale up the section of National Highway No. 22 connecting the An Suong intersection and the city’s Ring Road No .3. The 9.1 km route will be extended to nearly 40 meters in width with total investment of VND3.6 trillion ($150 million).

Another project will expand the section of National Highway from the Binh Phuoc crossroads to Binh Trieu Bridge. The 5-km link will be widened to 53-60 meters at a cost of an estimated VND10 trillion (417 million).

The project to expand the North - South axis, from Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard to the Ba Chiem Bridge intersection, from four to ten lanes, will need investment of some VND4.5 trillion ($188 million).

And the Binh Tien road and bridge project will run through Districts 6, 8 and Binh Chanh. The width of the 3.2 km link will be extended by 30 meters with total investment of over VND6.2 trillion ($259 million).  

These are all gateways and traffic routes with dense traffic flows and considered “bottlenecks” in the southern city. Its Department of Transport is seeking opinions from relevant departments, sectors, and agencies to develop specific criteria for the projects before reporting on them to the municipal People’s Committee. The People’s Committee will then submit project proposals to the People’s Council for approval at its upcoming sitting in September.