The Institute of Transport Science and Technology has proposed building two monorail lines to ease traffic congestion in the area surrounding Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Traffic congestion around Tan Son Nhat Airport

The proposal includes a line from Gia Dinh Park in Go Vap district and another from Hoang Van Thu Park in Tan Binh district with a total length of 6.3 kilometres.

Along with the proposal are underground car parks, each of which can house 2,000 cars, and will be built at the Gia Dinh and Tan Binh stations.

According to the ITST, the construction costs for a kilometre is estimated at US$35 million for a single-track line and US$50 million for a double-track line. The construction time is 18 months.

However, Ha Ngoc Truong, deputy chairman of the HCMC Association of Bridges, Roads and Ports, said that the project is unfeasible because the city has already planned a metro line, Line 4b, connecting Hoang Van Thu Park and Tan Son Nhat Airport.

He added that the costs will be between US$35-50 million for a kilometre which are too high as the world’s average costs are only US$24-25 million.

According to Professor Pham Xuan Mai, if the two transfer stations are positioned at Hoang Van Thu and Gia Dinh Parks, these areas will be severely congested as airline passengers are all concentrated there.

Director of the HCMC Department of Transport Bui Xuan Cuong said the monorail proposal is just an idea and its feasibility will be studied to see whether the lines are appropriate with the current planning.

According to a public transport plant for HCMC, the city will have eight metro lines, six BRT lines and three tramway or monorail lines.  

Nhan Dan