HCM City wrestling with congestion at airport entrance
Residents of Ho Chi Minh City are still waiting for competent authorities to come up with prompt and permanent solutions to regular traffic congestion at the entrance of Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
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A hike in the number of travelers coming and leaving the airport has exacerbated the issue.
According to the municipal Department of Transport, the number of visitors at the international airport totaled 26.5 million as of March this year, exceeding the venue’s capacity of 25 million passengers per annum.
The figure is anticipated to reach 30 million by the end of this year, heightening pressure on the entrance to the airport and nearby roads in terms of traffic flow.
One of the primary reasons for congestion is that the facility can only be accessed via one street and the surrounding infrastructure is poor in quality.
Plans to upgrade infrastructure on the roads as well as the airport entrance have not materialized in accordance with the original schedule, failing to provide a resolution to the issue.
Better accessibility
A team of officials from the Ministry of Transport, led by a deputy prime minister, have been charged with planning a 10-year solution for tackling traffic gridlock at the Tan Son Nhat entrance while waiting for the completion of Long Thanh International Airport in neighboring Dong Nai Province.
Several projects set up by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport have also been submitted to the municipal People’s Committee, including the construction of two flyovers to the domestic and international terminals.
The resolution of regular congestion at nearby intersections will also be addressed.
The building of new streets and the expansion of existing routes are also included in the projects with competent authorities currently conducting surveys in preparation.
Hoang Hoa Tham Street in Tan Binh District will be widened as a new airport terminal is expected to be built along the road.
According to Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the municipal Department of Transport, elevated highways connecting the Lang Cha Ca Roundabout in Tan Binh District and the Phu An Bridge in Binh Thanh District will be constructed as a permanent solution for relieving traffic overload to the airport as well as metro stations in the future.
New buildings near the airdrome could also contribute to traffic jams in the area, Lam Thieu Quan, one traffic expert, explained.
“Construction of such facilities should be limited to prevent further gridlock at the entrance to Tan Son Nhat,” Quan said.