Heavy traffic occurs on a section of National Highway No 1A near Binh Dien Bridge in HCM City’s Binh Chanh District during peak hours and holidays. — VNS Photo Nguyen Diep

The southwestern area is an inter-regional connection between the city and the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Long An Province, but its transport infrastructure has not caught up with growth.

Several main arterial roads in the area are becoming more congested.

For example, traffic jams occur at Nga 5 Vinh Loc Intersection near Vinh Loc Industrial Park in Binh Chanh District during peak hours. The area is clogged from 5pm to 6pm daily.

Vo Van Van, Nguyen Thi Tu and Vinh Loc streets leading to the intersection are narrow but have to carry a huge volume of vehicles.

The congestion has had a significant impact on people's lives and the circulation of goods. Overloading of vehicles has also contributed to the rapid deterioration of the roads.

A narrow section of National Highway No 1A extending from An Lac intersection in HCM City to an area adjacent to Long An Province also faces the same situation. It is clogged during rush hours with a large number of vehicles from southwestern provinces.

The National Highway No 50 section from District 8 to Binh Chanh District’s Da Phuoc Commune also faces serious traffic jams as the section is only 10-11m wide.

Tran Van Giau Street in HCM City’s Binh Chanh District is one of the main routes connecting the city with neighbouring Long An Province, but congestion occurs frequently at its two intersections.

The intersection at Vinh Loc, Lang Le Bau Co, Vo Huu Loi and Tran Van Giau streets, and the intersection at Xang Bridge and Tran Van Giau, Thanh Nien and Mai Ba Huong streets are about two kilometres apart, but they have been traffic hotspots for many years.

Other routes in the city’s southwestern part also have traffic jams, such as Dinh Duc Thien and Chanh Hung streets and Quach Dieu - Nu Dan Cong - Pham Van Sang Intersection.

Huge investment

Phan Cong Bang, deputy director of the city’s Department of Transport, said the city has invested in upgrading many routes in the southwestern part in recent years, but they have been ineffective.

“Opening more new routes through agricultural land would have lower costs, instead of the expansion of existing roads, which has high costs for site clearance compensation,” he said.

The department is working with others to devise solutions on enhancing regional connectivity and traffic capacity in the southwest.

Bui Trong Thong, director of Binh Chanh District’s Management Board of Construction Investment Projects, said the board has asked the district’s People’s Committee to approve 61 traffic projects at a total cost of VND15.75 trillion (nearly US$680 million) in the 2020-25 period.

Of these, there will be 30 projects that will upgrade and expand existing routes, and others that will build new routes.

Connectivity between the city’s Binh Chanh District and Long An Province will be enhanced through upgrading and expanding Tran Van Giau Street, the National Highway No 1A section adjacent to Long An Province’s Ben Luc District, the National Highway No 50 section adjacent to Long An Province’s Can Giuoc District, and a section from Xang Bridge to Long An Province’s Duc Hoa District.

Many routes linking the city’s Binh Chanh and Hoc Mon districts are expected to be upgraded, such as Quach Dieu, Pham Van Sang and Vinh Loc streets.

The Management Board of Construction Investment Project will build a new extension from Nguyen Cuu Phu Street in Binh Chanh District to the HCM City-Trung Luong Expressway, as well as a new road between the city’s Binh Chanh and Long An Province’s Duc Hoa District, a new underpass under Can Giuoc Bridge, and new Xang 2, Ba Lac and Qui Duc bridges.

Currently, a project on widening a 2.5km section of National Highway No 1A from Tan Kien Intersection to Binh Thuan Intersection in Binh Chanh from 30m to 120m is awaiting capital allocation.

An investment policy for a project to expand a 7km section of National Highway No 50 from Nguyen Van Linh Street to an area adjacent to Long An Province is awaiting approval. The section will be widened to 34m with six lanes.  VNS

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