The new Miền Đông (Eastern) Bus Station in HCM City’s District 9 is scheduled to open next month. — Photo nld.com.vn

HCM CITY — After repeated delays, HCM City’s new Miền Đông (Eastern) Bus Station in District 9 is finally set to open next month, according to the city’s Department of Transportation.

The department said the opening of the country’s largest bus station would take place between April 19 and 26.

Infrastructure and facilities for buses have been completed, according to the Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (SAMCO), which built the station.

In the first phase, buses will run from here on 29 long-haul routes to the central province of Quảng Trị and further north.

It is expected to serve more than seven million passengers annually, according to SAMCO.

The 16ha station straddles Long Bình Ward in the city’s District 9 and Dĩ An city in neighbouring Bình Dương Province.

Its construction had begun in 2017.

It has been designed under the transit-oriented development (TOD) model. Its first phase cost VNĐ740 billion (US$31.9 million) and it will totally cost VNĐ4 trillion ($172.4 million).

It is expected to reduce traffic in the city centre, particularly in areas around the current Eastern Bus Station in Bình Thạnh District.

The network of bus stations in the city also include Miền Tây (Western) station in Bình Tân District, An Sương station in Hóc Môn District and the Ngã Tư Ga station in District 12. — VNS