A traffic congestion in HCM City. The city's authorities are taking several measures to ease traffic congestion at the city’s main gateways, including widening of a section of National Highway No 13 and the construction of an underground tunnel.— Photo thanhnien.vn

HCM CITY –  HCM City authorities are taking several measures to ease traffic congestion at the city’s main gateways, including widening of a section of National Highway No 13 and the construction of an underground tunnel.

The section of National Highway No 13 will be expanded, starting from Bình Triệu Bridge in Thủ Đức District to Bình Phước Crossroads, according to the city’s Department of Transport.

To reduce traffic jams on the highway, the Transport Department plans to erect two temporary bridges for motorbikes besides the existing Ông Dầu Bridge, said Ngô Hải Đường, head of the department’s Road Transport Operation and Management Division.

The department has already built two U-shaped bends under flyovers at Thủ Đức intersection, creating favourable conditions for vehicles to turn and easing traffic pressure.

A road parallel to Hà Nội Highway has also been built, and a section of the highway is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter, Đường said.

The completion of the parallel road and Thủ Đức and Bình Thái intersections is expected to ease traffic congestion at the eastern entrance of the city.

In the third quarter, construction will begin on an underground tunnel at An Sương Intersection, the northern gateway of HCM City.

The new tunnel will help reduce traffic congestion at the intersection.

Besides Thủ Đức and An Sương, traffic congestion in areas near Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport has been a problem for decades.

To ease congestion, a consortium comprising Đông Mê Kông Trade, Production and Construction Service Ltd. and VIG Investment Co. Ltd. plan to build a flyover and an underground tunnel at the Trường Sơn Intersection in Tân Bình District.

It includes two sub-projects, one of which is a Y-shaped flyover connecting Trường Sơn Street with the airport’s international and domestic terminals.

The other sub-project will build an underground tunnel under Trường Sơn Street, running from the entry of the domestic terminal to Hồng Hà Street.

With a total investment of VNĐ760 billion (US$34.1 million), the tunnel project will be implemented under the Build–Transfer (BT) investment form.

The roads to entrances to Tân Sơn Nhất Airport, especially at peak hours, are plagued with traffic jams, affecting connections between Tân Sơn Nhất and HCM City roads. — VNS