HCM City aims to unclog roads to airport

Director of the city Department of Transport Bui Xuan Cuong said many solutions are planned to unclog the roads leading up to the airport in Tan Binh District. 

They include two metro lines and the elevated railway line No.1 along Cong Hoa Street connecting the airport area, he said. 

But the immediate requirement is for two flyovers at the airport, he said. 

One Y-shaped flyover would be built at the airport to allow vehicles to travel to the international and domestic terminals, and plans for it are ready, he said. 

The other would be built at Pham Van Dong Street - Nguyen Kiem Street to connect to the airport, he said. 

The city is awaiting Government approval for choosing the contractor for it, and construction is expected to be finished by year end, he said. 

The airport handles 30 million passengers a year, higher than its designed capacity of 25 million. 

Traffic jams often occur in the surrounding streets on Friday afternoons. 

At the Cat Lai Port in District 2, traffic jams frequently occur between 6pm and 11 pm. 

Cuong said the congestion would worsen this year since the number of vehicles going in and out of the port is increasing. 

The volume of goods handled at the port in the first half of the year increased by 11% year-on-year. It handles 43 million tonnes a year while its capacity is only 36 million tonnes. 

The city has 10 infrastructure projects lined up for the port area, including the new Binh Loi Bridge, Cuong said. 

The new bridge is expected to be finished in 12 months’ time. 

By then all goods from Binh Duong and Tay Ninh provinces will be transported to the port by barges and not road like now. 

A task force has been established to deal with traffic congestion near Cat Lai Port in District 2. 

Members of the team will work in the area to regulate traffic and submit daily reports on the traffic situation near the port.