HCM CITY – HCM City is seeking to develop transport infrastructure to cope with its burgeoning traffic and rapid development of suburban areas.

“Transport infrastructure development is now an urgent task because the current population of around 13 million people is creating heavy pressure on it,” Trần Vĩnh Tuyến, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, told Thời báo Kinh tế Việt Nam (Việt Nam Investment Review) newspaper.

“The city aims to develop a smart transport system.”

The city offered 130 projects to investors, 73 of them related to transport infrastructure, at a recent investment promotion conference.

There is no room to widen downtown roads but a mushrooming of high-rise buildings and apartments is causing great pressure on transport facilities.

The rapid urbanisation of outlying districts like 9, 12, Thủ Đức, and Nhà Bè has added to the pressure.

All arterial roads like Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh, Cộng Hòa, Xa Lộ Hà Nội, Nguyễn Tất Thành, Huỳnh Tấn Phát, and An Dương Vương are congested all day long.

To improve the situation a series of transport projects was begun last year.

Last July the Y-shaped flyover near Tân Sơn Nhất airport opened to traffic, while in October the Nhị Thiên Đường Bridge 1 in District 8 was inaugurated.

Flyovers have also been built at the intersections of Nguyễn Kiệm and Hoàng Minh Giám streets in Tân Bình District; Ba Tháng Hai, Lý Thái Tổ and Thành Thái Streets in District 10.

The city has sought approval from the Ministry of Transport for the An Phú project in District 2, which involves building a four-lane tunnel to connect Mai Chí Thọ Street with the HCM City – Long Thành – Dầu Giây Express at a cost of over VNĐ1 trillion (US$46 million).

The city administration has already approved the construction of the Mỹ Thủy intersection also in District 2, which is expected to be finished next quarter.

Recently construction of a bridge between Kim Cương Island and District 2 started.

Nguyễn Thị Định Street will be widened to 60m.

Work on the first metro route from Bến Thành to Suối Tiên has been under way for a few years now and is likely to finish in 2020.

The city has been discussing with eight neighbouring provinces transport connection in the Southern Key Economic Zone. — VNS