The double tunnel at the An Sương intersection in District 12. HCM City has completed some major transport projects this year that will help ease congestion at its entry points. — Photo courtesy of the HCM City Management Board for Traffic Works Construction and Investment

HCM CITY — HCM City has completed a number of major transport projects this year, and plans to complete many others by 2025, that will help ease congestion at its gateways and improve connectivity with neighbouring provinces.

They include Miền Đồng bus station, the country’s biggest, the An Sương intersection in District 12, Phước Lộc bridge in Nhà Bè District, and construction of the An Phú Đông connecting Districts 12 and Gò Vấp, and widening of Tô Ký Street in District 12.

Phan Công Bằng, deputy director of the city Department of Transport, said the Phước Lộc Bridge in Nhà Bè District is set to open to traffic by the end of this month. 

The bridge across the Cây Khô canal between Phước Kiển and Phước Lộc communes costs VNĐ405 billion (US$17.39 million) to build and replaces an earlier two-metre-wide bridge, he said.

The bridge is 10m wide and 710m long.

Work stopped in 2013 due to land acquisition problems and resumed only in June this year.

The 240m long, 12m wide An Phú Đông steel bridge across the Vàm Thuật River between Districts 12 and Gò Vấp is also expected to be open to traffic by the end of the month. 

Built at a cost of VNĐ80 billion ($3.44 million) to replace a ferry service, the bridge will help people in An Phú Đông and District 12 travel faster to the city centre.

It was initially scheduled to be completed in November but was hit by a barge in mid-October, which delayed the work. It has been tested for safety and is all set to open to traffic by the end of the month.

The new Miền Đông (Eastern) Bus Station, the country’s largest, opened in District 9 in October after nearly four years of construction. Its opening too was delayed many times, but mostly due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It spreads over 12.3ha in District 9 and 3.7ha in Dĩ An Town in Bình Dương Province, which makes it nearly three times as big as the old one in Bình Thạnh District. 

It can serve 21,000 passengers a day and 1,200 buses, but 52,000 passengers and over 1,800 during peak times.

More than seven million passengers are expected to travel annually from here on 71 long-haul routes to the eastern, central and northern regions.

Construction, which began in 2017, cost more than VNĐ4 trillion ($172.6 million).

The second branch of the tunnel at the An Sương intersection in District 12 opened to traffic in September, greatly easing congestion.

The 385-metre branch is exclusively meant for automobiles travelling from Củ Chi District to the city centre.

Work had been suspended since the end of 2018 because of delayed land acquisition as Hóc Môn District was not able to hand over the required lands until October last year.

Lương Minh Phúc, head of the HCM City Management Board for Traffic Works Construction and Investment, said the intersection of National Highways 22 and 1A had for years faced severe congestion and a risk of accidents due to container trucks.

But when the entire work is completed, it would help reduce traffic and ensure safety, he said.

Construction of the double tunnel began in early 2017.

According to city authorities, some other major works will be completed by 2025.

They include Ring Road No 2, Cát Lái Bridge, Thủ Thiêm Bridges Nos 2, 3 and 4 and widening of Nguyễn Duy Trinh Street and the An Phú intersection connecting District 2, District 9 and Thủ Đức District with the city centre and neighbouring provinces.

Priority would be given to belt roads, highways, and urban railways, they said. — VNS