HCM CITY — Minister of Transport Nguyễn Văn Thể has instructed the State-owned Airports Corporation of Việt Nam to complete the feasibility study for Long Thành Airport and submit it to the ministry by May 30.

Speaking at a meeting on Thursday, he said: “In order to fulfill this task, units and relevant agencies should work closely with each other.”

He also asked the various agencies tasked with the construction to study the creation of a direct route between the proposed airport and Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City to enable passengers to travel more conveniently between them.

Phạm Hữu Sơn, director general of Transport Engineering Design Inc (TEDI), a project consultant, said there were two options for this: a 40km road running parallel to the province’s Highway 25C and linking up with railway line No 3 and a 36km road along the HCM City-Long Thành-Dầu Giây Expressway and linking up with railway line No 1.

Thể said building a railway line would be optimal but complicated and time-consuming.

“We need dedicated roads for passengers. Foreign visitors, even domestic visitors, cannot travel by buses and trams in the inner city. It will be difficult for them.”

Agencies should consider building a road or dedicated lanes for vehicles travelling between the two airports, he said.

Lê Đỗ Mười, deputy head of the ministry’s Transport Development and Strategy Institute, said there were proposals to build a rail line linking Thủ Thiêm Tunnel with Long Thành Airport, and the Cát Lái Bridge, provincial Highway No 25 and Belt Road No 3 to connect Đồng Nai Province with the western region.

“If these projects are completed on schedule by 2025, it will create good transport connections between the eastern and south-western areas and Long Thành Airport.”

Thể said his ministry would co-ordinate with the State Capital Management Committee to submit a plan to the Government for mobilising capital for the airport.

Next October the project’s bidding, design, capital mobilization, and other activities are scheduled to be done. — VNS