City to begin 18 traffic works this year

City to begin 18 traffic works this year

By Anh Quan – The Saigon Times Daily

The current Saigon Bridge is often congested during rush hours though this is a vital link between downtown HCMC and the eastern part of the city. HCMC plans to begin work on 18 traffic projects this year, including the Saigon 2 Bridge in parallel with the present Saigon Bridge – Photo: Anh Quan

HCMC – HCMC plans to begin construction of 18 traffic projects this year with the combined capital of VND6.1 trillion, according to a report by the city’s Transport Department.

They include key projects such as Saigon 2 Bridge with the investment of VND1.5 trillion, the VND2.1 trillion Binh Tien Bridge and the VND2.5 trillion Ha Huy Giap Parallel Road in District 12.

Bui Xuan Cuong, deputy director of the department, said construction of the projects should begin soon to help ease traffic congestion in the city. The department will seek approval from local government to prioritize capital flow for the projects.

But work is yet to start on other important projects such as Tan Son Nhat-Binh Loi road, interprovincial road 25B and provincial road 10 that are overdue because of site clearance and compensation problems, Cuong said.

In 2010, the department broke ground for 12 traffic projects and launched 24 works into operation.