HCM City prioritises major transport projects

HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City will focus on major transport projects that help ease traffic gridlock and scrap less urgent ones since resources are limited.

The municipal Department of Transport said it had developed a transport infrastructure plan for the next decade with a focus on the criteria that would determine the priority of projects based on planning, simulation and traffic forecast.

Tran Quang Lam, the department's director, said priority would be given to belt roads, highways and urban railways (metro No 1, 2, 3B, 5). Other urgent projects include elevated roads and others that connect with Tan Son Nhat airport, Cat Lai port and Hiep Phuoc port.

Ho Chi Minh City mainly depended on public funding of transport projects, he said, adding that it has difficulty mobilising private capital.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan said the city had spent 37.5 percent of public investment in 2016-2020 on transport infrastructure.

Now, due to limited resources, it would have to focus on congestion hotspots such as airport, seaports and roads to neighbouring provinces, he said.

Ho Chi Minh City had worked closely with districts to promptly resolve problems related to land acquisition and compensation to speed up progress, he said.

It would ask the municipal Party Committee and People’s Council for permission to scrap projects considered less urgent, the official said.

In 2016-2020, Ho Chi Minh city completed a number of key transport works such as Pham Van Dong street, the road leading to Phu Huu port in district 9, the flyover at the Go May intersection, the intersection near the Ho Chi Minh City National University, and the flyovers at Vo Van Kiet street and the Go Vap intersection, according to the municipal People’s Committee.

They are now playing a major role in reducing congestion and accidents in the city.

According to the local Management Board for Traffic Works Construction and Investment, the southern city will complete 29 traffic projects and start work on 27 new ones this year.

Of the 27 new projects, the city has already kicked off 13 major projects with a total investment of 3.5 trillion VND (149 million USD).

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam and the economic hub of the southern region. Accounting for 0.6 percent of Vietnam’s total land area and about 9 percent of the country’s population, it is part of the southern key economic zone, which also comprises Dong Nai, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Long An, Tay Ninh and Binh Phuoc provinces.

The city currently has 28 traffic hotspots, mostly in densely urban areas and at airport gateways and Cat Lai Port.

Traffic connections between Ho Chi Minh City and neighbouring provinces play an important role in the economic development of the southern area. Since traffic congestion is the main cause for the high costs of transporting goods between the city and provinces the Ho Chi Minh City authority plans to complete the belt road No 2 linking provinces and cities this year.

According to the municipal Department of Transport, the city plans to put into use 81 km of new roads and 18 bridges this year.

Lam, director of the department, said priority would be given to belt road, highway, and urban railway projects. If projects are completed, traffic congestion will be eased and city development will be strengthened./.