HCM City ponders using trams to ease traffic congestion

The city’s infrastructure priorities include tram routes, elevated roads, metro lines and the upgrading of traffic intersections, according to HCM City’s Department of Transport.

The city People’s Committee and the Ministry of Planning and Investment will hold a meeting on Saturday to discuss the need for immediate investment of two tram routes, Bui Xuan Cuong, the department deputy director, has said.

One tram route will link Nguyen Van Linh Road and Tan Thuan Bridge in District 2, while the other will begin at Quang Trung Software Park and run along Quang Trung Road to the six-way Go Vap crossroads.

These routes have severe traffic jams due to a huge volume of vehicles and limited space.

The two tram routes, which will cost about VND9 trillion (US$470 million), would be built in the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) form.

For the metro route and elevated road projects, the city will call for investment in the forms of BOT or Build-Transfer and Official Development Assistance from foreign donors.

Under the city’s plan to 2025 for transport networks, six metro routes, with investment capital of VND20-30 trillion ($1-1.5 billion) each, would be built.

In addition, the city plans four elevated roads, with investment priority given to elevated roads No 1 and No 3.

Road space accounted for only about 5-7 per cent of the city’s total area, while the standard rate should be more than 20 per cent, Cuong said.

In addition, at the meeting the city will also call for investment in projects to upgrade important traffic intersection sites.

Priorities will be given to intersection sites Hang Xanh, Cay Go and Cong Truong Dan Chu.

At these sites, three construction options are available: widening roads, building flyovers or building underground tunnels.

Each intersection upgrade will cost VND300-400 billion ($15-$21 million). — VNS

Tags: Vietnam Infrastructure, Vietnam traffic