HCM CITY  — A proposal to build a north-south axial road in HCM City running through districts 4, 7 and Nhà Bè through a public-private-partnership (PPP) has been approved by the City People’s Committee.

The road will have two distinct stretches, one from Hoàng Diệu Street in District 4 to Nguyển Văn Linh Street in District 7 and the other from Nguyễn Văn Linh to Bà Chiêm Bridge in Nhà Bè District.

Rapid population growth in districts 7 and Nhà Bè and the presence of Hiệp Phước Port have given rise to dense traffic flows into the city’s downtown areas.

The traffic is choking major roads like Nguyễn Văn Linh, Nguyễn Thị Thập and Nguyễn Hữu Thọ.

According to the Urban Transport Management Division No 2 belonging to the city Department of Transport, heavy traffic also flows from ports in districts 7 and Nhà Bè to Cát Lái Port in District 2 through the Phú Mỹ Bridge to Mỹ Thủy intersection.

Traffic congestion is a recurring problem for roads such as Nguyễn Thị Thập, Nguyễn Hữu Thọ and Huỳnh Tấn Phát.

Local residents said the intersections of these roads are clogged from 3pm every day until the end of rush hour at 7pm.

According to Nguyễn Văn Toàn, head of the department’s planning and investment division, to cope with the rising pressure from development and traffic growth, Kênh Tẻ Bridge linking districts 4 and 7 is being widened.

For the long-term, more infrastructure projects, including the north-south axis road which would connect the beltways with other roads, are required to ease traffic problems in the area, he said.

When completed, the axis road would also link beltways No 2, 3 and 4 with ports, export processing zones and industrial parks not only in HCM City but also in the Mekong Delta, he said.

Investors seek opportunities

Phương Anh Investment, Construction and Trading Company Limited is one of two bidders for the PPP work.

It wants to build the Nguyễn Văn Linh Street – Bà Chiêm Bridge section of the axial highway in return for around 1,200ha of land in the Hiệp Phước Urban Area in Nhà Bè District.

The other investor, who wants to build the Hoàng Diệu-Nguyễn Văn Linh section, eyes 188.2 ha of land in Nhà Bè’s Phước Kiến Commune as payment.

The People’s Committee has told the two bidders to begin pre-feasibility studies within six months. —VNS.