HCM CITY – Some 17 black spots where traffic accidents are common have been reported in HCM City. Of them, many are located on roads to sea ports and dry ports, causing serious traffic congestion and hindering the city’s development, the municipal Department of Transport has said.

Nguyễn Tất Thành Road in District 4 is the main road linking District 1, 4, 7 and the only road for vehicles to go in and out of Sài Gòn Port. Traffic congestion occurs everyday as the road is only seven metres wide.

The city’s department said three black spots were identified on the road, with most collisions between motorcycles and container trucks driving on one-way roads.

According to the city’s Traffic Safety Management Board, Nguyễn Tất Thành Road can not be expanded, while traffic density in the first four months of 2017 increased remarkably.

Nguyễn Vinh Ninh, director of the department’s Urban Traffic Management No1 said that the unit has installed warning lights, warning signs and replaced steel traffic barriers with cement ones to cut down on accidents.   

Belt Road 2 connecting Phú Mỹ Bridge to Mỹ Thuỷ Intersection to enter Cát Lái Port has another problem. There are tens of holes along the 3-kilometre-road, leading to some traffic barriers being moved to allow vehicles to use the opposite lane to avoid holes, increasing the risk of accidents.

In Mỹ Thuỷ Intersection alone, four accidents were reported between 2014 and mid 2016, killing four people and leaving one injured. The intersection, including Nguyễn Thị Định and Đồng Văn Cống roads, are the main route to Cát Lái Port with more than 18,000 trucks travelling on it.

Huỳnh Thanh Khiết, vice chairman of the District 2’s People’s Committee said that serious traffic congestion occured on the routes from Cát Lái Port in District 2 to Phú Hữu Port in District 9 day and night.  

It took about 15 minutes for a truck to get in or out of the port, he added.

Lê Ngọc Hùng, director of the Urban Traffic Management No2 said a project to reduce traffic congestion in Mỹ Thuỷ Intersection is under construction. The project, worth nearly VNĐ840 billion (US$36.9 million), will include a four-lane overpass , a two-lane tunnel, a four-lane bridge and additional roads in the area.

The project will help solve congestion, meet demand of cargo transport into Cát Lái Port and connect the Belt Road 2 from Phú Mỹ Bridge to HCM City-Long Thành-Dầu Giây Expressway.

The unit was the investor of the project, he said, adding that the project would finish construction in 2018. – VNS