Initially, these 5 routes were planned to be upgraded and expanded under the BOT (build-operate-transfer) model with a total investment of more than 44,000 billion VND.
However, according to the Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City, these 5 projects are expected to build elevated roads.
Currently, the Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City has advised, proposed and updated this plan into the project to adjust the general planning of Ho Chi Minh City as well as the specialized planning of technical infrastructure.
If the planning adjustment progress is delayed, the projects may be affected. Therefore, the Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City has proposed that the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City assign the Department of Planning and Architecture to urgently complete the project to adjust the General Planning for Construction of Ho Chi Minh City to 2040, with a vision to 2060, to quickly submit to competent authorities for approval, as a basis for accelerating the implementation progress of the 5 projects.
Mr. Tran Quang Lam - Director of the Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City, recently chaired the first reporting meeting on the preparation of pre-feasibility study reports for these 5 projects.
After listening to opinions from consultants and related parties, Mr. Lam requested the consultants to continue researching the current status, related planning, traffic flow forecast... as a basis for proposing technical solutions, toll collection scenarios, and application of intelligent traffic systems to complete the pre-feasibility study report. The goal is to submit for appraisal and approval of investment policies for the projects in 2024.
At the northeastern gateway, in addition to the plan to build an elevated road along National Highway 13, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport is studying the conversion of two routes, Xo Viet Nghe Tinh and Dinh Bo Linh (Binh Thanh District), into elevated roads to synchronously connect with National Highway 13.
Similarly, at the Northwest gateway, in addition to studying the option of building an elevated road along Highway 22, the Department of Transport also proposed building an elevated road along the Truong Chinh - Cong Hoa route, with a total length of 11.2 km, 4 lanes, connecting from An Suong intersection to Tan Son Nhat airport. The total investment of the project is expected to be nearly 12,000 billion VND, implemented in the form of public-private partnership (PPP).
According to experts, road expansion in Ho Chi Minh City faces many difficulties due to the high cost of land clearance, accounting for more than 50% of the total investment. Compensation and reparation are also very complicated and prolonged, causing many projects to be behind schedule. In this context, elevated roads are considered a reasonable solution, helping to make use of the space above, reduce pressure on land use and have little impact on existing residential areas.
Dr. Vu Anh Tuan - Director of the Vietnam - Germany Transport Research Center, said that the elevated road system will create a connection network between central areas of Ho Chi Minh City and important traffic hubs such as airports, seaports, gateways and highways.
"Separating inter-provincial and inter-regional traffic from the inner-city traffic network will not only solve existing congestion but also help vehicles with long-distance travel needs to travel faster and more conveniently, while also reducing many social costs," Mr. Tuan emphasized.
