Removing traffic congestion at the eastern and western gateways of Ho Chi Minh City: Reducing waste, promoting development

Traffic congestion at the eastern and western gateways of Ho Chi Minh City is becoming increasingly serious, especially on major roads such as National Highway 13, Binh Trieu Bridge, Pham Van Dong Avenue and An Phu Interchange (the connection point with the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway).

Crowded movement

According to SGGP reporters, during rush hours in the morning and afternoon, many roads at the eastern gateway such as Hanoi Highway, National Highway 13, Mai Chi Tho Avenue, Saigon Bridge, Rach Chiec Bridge and An Phu Intersection are always stuck in traffic jams. Thousands of vehicles are crowded, moving with difficulty, many sections are almost paralyzed.

An Phu intersection (HCMC) is often congested

On Highway 13 and Binh Trieu Bridge, the pressure has increased since Binh Trieu 1 Bridge was repaired at the end of August. All cars were forced to pass through Binh Trieu 2 Bridge and Pham Van Dong Street, causing a 2-3km traffic jam on some days.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thach, who lives in the area of ​​Highway 13, opposite the old Eastern Bus Station, reflected: Traveling just a few kilometers during rush hour takes twice or three times longer than before. The traffic is packed both morning and afternoon.

An Phu intersection is also often congested. The direction from the center to the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay highway is often closed to reduce traffic, while the direction back to the center is stuck with the N2 bridge construction, narrowing the waiting area for traffic lights. The situation of cars encroaching on motorbike lanes makes the congestion even more serious. According to driver Nguyen Nguyen Thanh, who often passes through this area, during rush hour, travel time increases 2-3 times.

Not only the East, the western gateway of Ho Chi Minh City, especially National Highway 1A, Binh Dien Bridge, Nguyen Van Linh, has also become a traffic jam hotspot. This is the main route connecting the city with the West, but traffic jams happen almost every day. Mr. Nguyen Van Tam, a bus driver on the Ho Chi Minh City - Dong Thap route, said: "If you get stuck in traffic at Binh Dien Bridge, you will miss the whole trip. Passengers constantly complain because the travel time from Mien Tay Bus Station to the highway, which should only take 20-30 minutes, now sometimes takes nearly 2 hours."

Motorcyclists and private vehicles also face similar difficulties in moving around. During rush hour, the line of vehicles is long, people have to weave between trucks and containers, which is both dangerous and stressful... Similarly, the intersection of Nguyen Van Linh Street with National Highway 1A, which was already narrow, is now degraded, the bumpy road surface makes it even more difficult for vehicles to move.

Fundamental solution: Improve infrastructure

Faced with the above situation, people hope that the city and relevant agencies will soon upgrade and expand Binh Dien Bridge and National Highway 1A through the Western Gateway. In addition, recalculate the operating hours of trucks entering and exiting Binh Dien market, as well as speed up the completion of parallel roads and beltways to share traffic pressure. The Western Gateway is the "bridge" between Ho Chi Minh City and the Western provinces, and prolonged congestion will affect trade and travel. Or more accurately, it will not only waste people's travel time but also affect the promotion of economic development in general.

To reduce traffic pressure during the Binh Trieu Bridge repair phase, the Traffic Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City Police has deployed forces to regulate traffic from the Binh Loi Bridge, directing traffic from Pham Van Dong Street to Nguyen Xi Street instead of going over the bridge. At the An Phu intersection, Mr. Luong Minh Phuc, Director of the Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Board of Ho Chi Minh City, said that the coordination board of the Traffic Police force has deployed many measures to strengthen regulation during rush hours. Along with that, contractors have shortened the time of barricading, striving to not exceed 10 days for each traffic diversion plan.

The fundamental solution to solve the traffic congestion is to speed up the progress of key infrastructure projects. Ho Chi Minh City has approved a plan to select contractors to prepare for the project to expand National Highway 13, from Binh Trieu Bridge to Vinh Binh Bridge, nearly 6km long. The route will be expanded to 60m with 10 lanes, with an additional 3.2km elevated road and two underpasses in Binh Loi, Binh Phuoc. The total investment of the project is more than 20,900 billion VND, expected to start in the third quarter of 2026 and be completed in 2028.

National Highway 13 in the eastern gateway area of ​​Ho Chi Minh City is often congested.

The city is also preparing to widen National Highway 1, from Kinh Duong Vuong to Long An border, to 60m with 10-12 lanes, with an investment capital of more than 16,285 billion VND. The project will add overpasses and underpasses at many key intersections. The project is expected to be completed in 2028, with the expectation of reducing traffic congestion at the western gateway and enhancing regional connectivity.

Traffic congestion at the eastern gateway of Ho Chi Minh City has reached an alarming level, greatly affecting people's lives, the economy and the environment. Short-term solutions such as traffic diversion, traffic light adjustment or increasing the number of traffic controllers are only temporary. In the long term, urgently speeding up the implementation of projects to expand National Highway 13 and National Highway 1A and build a new modern public transport system is the fundamental direction, helping the city to completely solve the problem of traffic jams, while creating a lever for sustainable development.

Synchronous development of many types of transportation

Associate Professor Dr. Vu Anh Tuan, Director of the Vietnam-Germany Transport Research Center (Vietnam-Germany University), emphasized: The short-term solution is to reorganize traffic and regulate it flexibly; but the fundamental solution is still to expand National Highway 13, renovate intersections, develop elevated roads, metro and BRT (bus rapid transit) to reduce dependence on private vehicles.

Meanwhile, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Vice Principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport, proposed: the expansion of National Highway 13, National Highway 1 (section to the Western provinces) and the elevated road system is urgent and needs to be implemented immediately, if delayed, traffic congestion will become more serious. This is not only an immediate solution, but also creates a driving force for sustainable development for the gateway area of ​​Ho Chi Minh City in the future.

QUOC HUNG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/thao-diem-nghen-giao-thong-cua-ngo-phia-dong-va-tay-tphcm-giam-lang-phi-thuc-day-phat-trien-post812017.html