Construction site for the upprading project at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City. — Photo courtesy of Ministry of Transport

HCM CITY — The Ministry of Transport has asked HCM City to resume the upgrade on Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport during the two-week stay-at-home period that started on Monday to ensure that it is completed by the end of the year.

The ministry has asked the municipal People’s Committee to include the work on a list of urgent projects.

Tân Sơn Nhất, one of the two largest airports in the country, has been overloaded for many years and has visible cracks and subsidence of asphalt surfaces.

Since the pandemic has put a halt to most international flights, the city decided to take advantage of the downtime to carry out the upgrades.

The upgrading project started in late June last year, with total investment of more than VNĐ2 trillion (US$86 million).

Work is being carried out in two phases. The first phase finished repairs of the airport’s 25R/07L runway after six months.

The second phase includes upgrade of five existing taxiways and construction of new rapid exit taxiways, and connecting taxiways and parallel taxiways.  It also includes a drainage system, taxiway lights and aviation signboards.

From August 5-13, 27 positive cases of COVID-19 and 76 F1 cases (close contacts of COVID cases) at the project’s construction site were found and treated.

No new COVID-19 cases have been reported since August 13. The project management board asked to resume work on the upgrade project after presenting its pandemic prevention plan to the city.

The ministry has asked authorities of neighbouring Đồng Nai and Bình Dương provinces to allow equipment and materials to be transported to the city.

It said the Tân Cảng-Cát Lái Port in the city should facilitate customs clearance procedures for shipments of imported equipment for the project.

The ministry also said the city should give vaccination priority to the project’s officials and construction workers.

Seven urgent projects in the city, including key traffic projects, have been allowed to continue work during the current stay-at-home order period to ensure completion.

The projects include construction works serving pandemic prevention and control as well as Metro Line No. 1, Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge, an overpass in front of Miền Đông (Eastern) Bus Station, and technical infrastructure in residential areas and commercial areas in Thủ Thiêm new urban area.

Also included are a new double tunnel below Nguyễn Văn Linh Boulevard and Nguyễn Hữu Thọ Street intersection, and construction of a cardiology centre, neonatology centre and a building for health examinations and surgery at the HCM City Paediatrics Hospital 1.

The city has suspended non-urgent construction projects under social distancing regulations amid the worsening COVID outbreak. — VNS