Truong Chinh and Cong Hoa streets play a vital role, connecting the northwestern districts such as District 12, Tan Binh, Tan Phu, Hoc Mon, and Cu Chi with the city center and Tan Son Nhat airport.
However, traffic overload has caused these routes to be congested for many years.
According to statistics from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport, traffic volume on Cong Hoa Street currently exceeds capacity by 142%, meaning that when a minor incident occurs, traffic can easily back up, causing prolonged congestion.
The Cong Hoa - Hoang Hoa Tham intersection is considered one of the “black spots” of traffic jams, despite the support of an overpass. The solution of regulating traffic in one direction during morning rush hour and vice versa in the afternoon has not been able to overcome the problem due to the large number of vehicles.
Similarly, Truong Chinh Street is also overloaded by 118%, making it difficult for vehicles to move, causing frequent congestion. The section from An Suong intersection to Cong Hoa Street has 10 traffic lanes, but then Truong Chinh Street (from Cong Hoa to Au Co) narrows to only 4 lanes, creating a "bottleneck" - a major cause of congestion.
In particular, Truong Chinh Street, from Au Co to Tan Ky - Tan Quy, is one of 24 traffic jams that have lasted for many years in Ho Chi Minh City. In the first 9 months of this year alone, this road has recorded 569 traffic jams.
In that situation, the HCM City Department of Transport has proposed that the City People's Committee prioritize investment in three main projects to solve the traffic jam problem: Expanding Truong Chinh Street; expanding Tan Ky - Tan Quy Street and building an elevated road along the Truong Chinh - Cong Hoa axis.
Truong Chinh Street Expansion: The 765 m long road from Cong Hoa to Au Co will be expanded from the current 10 - 12 m to 60 m. The project has a total estimated investment of VND 4,500 billion, of which the cost for site clearance is estimated at VND 1,750 billion. The project is expected to be implemented in the 2024 - 2028 period.
Tan Ky - Tan Quy Road Expansion: The 636 m section from Cong Hoa to Le Trong Tan will be expanded from 8 m to 30 m, allowing 6 traffic lanes. The total investment is about 1,600 billion VND and is expected to be implemented from 2024 to 2027.
Construction of an elevated road along Truong Chinh - Cong Hoa: The project has a total length of 11.2 km with 4 lanes, from An Suong intersection to Tan Son Nhat airport area.
The total investment for the elevated road project is nearly VND12,000 billion, proposed to be implemented in the form of public-private partnership (PPP), with the city budget contributing 50% of the total investment capital - equivalent to nearly VND6,000 billion, the rest mobilized by investors.
The elevated road will mainly utilize the median strip between Truong Chinh and Cong Hoa streets. With this solution, the cost of site clearance is estimated at about 800 billion VND, helping to significantly reduce compensation costs compared to the option of widening the road to both sides.
