However, Ho Chi Minh City's urban infrastructure continues to undergo significant transformation as many key, vital projects are successively launched, completed rapidly, and put into operation.
The beginning of a long journey
Six months after the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 project, Mr. Luong Minh Phuc, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Construction Project Management Board for Transportation Works, still feels emotional when recalling the event.
"The commencement of the Ring Road 3 project is just the first step; the road ahead is still very long, reminding those in the transportation sector to strive to translate the design estimates into the first few kilometers."
The project to connect Tran Quoc Hoan and Phan Thuc Duyet streets, the gateway to Tan Son Nhat airport, is being expedited to connect to Terminal 3. Photo: Anh Tu.
After more than a decade of planning, only 15km of the Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3, passing through Binh Duong province, has been completed. This road connecting key economic regions in the South remains unfinished, causing headaches for the government due to a lack of investment capital.
However, after a year of efforts from both the city and central political systems, the Ring Road 3 project was officially approved, commenced, and is currently under construction.
Mr. Luong Minh Phuc likened the transportation workers who are accompanying the construction of Ring Road 3 to a football team that has gone through the quarterfinals, into the semifinals, and now to the final.
"We are deeply moved as we look back on the past year, which was incredibly difficult at times. The trust placed in us by the leaders and the support from the people are invaluable assets that motivate the transportation sector to continue. Because very significant challenges await us," Mr. Phuc shared.
2023 was also a year with many memorable milestones for Ho Chi Minh City. On December 4th, the country's largest city received its first full funding of over 1,000 billion VND to build a pedestrian bridge connecting the city center with the new Thu Thiem urban area.
This is one of five bridges and a tunnel planned to connect Thu Thiem with the surrounding area across the Saigon River.
On the same day that the handover for the billion-dollar pedestrian bridge was signed, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport also submitted to the City People's Committee the results of the pre-feasibility study for the construction of the Thu Thiem 4 bridge across the Saigon River, connecting Thu Duc City with the South Saigon area.
With a total investment of over 6,000 billion VND, if the design is approved, this will be the first bridge in Ho Chi Minh City that can flexibly open and close its clearance for ship traffic.
Upon completion, the Thu Thiem 4 Bridge is expected to create even stronger momentum for the development of the Thu Thiem and Thu Duc areas in particular, and Ho Chi Minh City in general.
Efforts to bring many projects to completion.
Throughout the four quarters of 2023, Ho Chi Minh City also restarted many projects that had been delayed for years due to land acquisition issues. Among them, the Long Kieng Bridge was completed after nearly two decades since its approval and construction.
The project to connect Tran Quoc Hoan and Phan Thuc Duyet streets, the gateway to Tan Son Nhat airport, is being expedited to connect to Terminal 3. Photo: Anh Tu.
This long wait once made many elderly women, some over 80, fear they wouldn't live to see the bridge completed. Mrs. Le Thi Nga (86 years old) shed tears of joy on the day of the bridge's inauguration: "I never thought I would see the Long Kieng bridge open to traffic. With the new bridge, I hope the people here will have more success in their businesses."
In September 2023, the Long Kieng bridge opened to traffic, facilitating travel for residents in the area and improving transportation connectivity between the southern part of Ho Chi Minh City and Long An province.
The completed project not only met the expectations of the local people, but, as Mr. Luong Minh Phuc once said, it was a promise made by the government and the transportation sector of Ho Chi Minh City.
Following the Long Kieng bridge, a series of other bridges such as Can Gio and Vam Sat 2, with a total investment of over 342 billion VND, were also inaugurated. Bridges that had previously been left exposed to the elements, such as Nam Ly, Tang Long, and Long Dai bridges, began to move forward and accelerate their construction.
For example, after a four-year hiatus and a six-month restart, the Nam Ly Bridge's main span was completed in October 2023. This event marks a significant milestone, moving the project towards full completion by September 2nd, 2024.
Despite facing common challenges related to land acquisition, the Long Dai bridge, with a total investment of over 350 billion VND, has been completed and opened to traffic in the early days of the new year.
The project, which residents have been waiting for for nearly 20 years, will break the barrier between Long Binh and Long Phuoc wards. Meanwhile, construction on the Tang Long bridge has resumed and is expected to be completed by April 30, 2025.
Located at the gateway to Ho Chi Minh City, the An Phu interchange project, with its three levels and a budget of over 3,500 billion VND, is also receiving significant construction attention.
The An Phu interchange project plays a crucial role in resolving the traffic congestion hotspot at the eastern gateway of Ho Chi Minh City. With the largest scale ever undertaken, this interchange will become an impressive landmark, befitting its architectural stature and serving as a symbol for Ho Chi Minh City and Thu Duc City.
As 2023 drew to a close, a series of projects were launched and completed. Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Nguyen Van Nen noted a significant improvement in disbursement results. More than 50% of the planned capital was disbursed, even though the allocated capital was double that of 2022.
"From the workload, requirements, timeframe, and results achieved, it's clear that Ho Chi Minh City has had a year of both forward and backward action. The city has tackled both urgent and long-term tasks, ensuring that each organization and individual fulfills their assigned responsibilities, while also carrying out the city's overall objectives," Secretary Nguyen Van Nen shared.
In 2024, two important transportation projects will be completed.
In early 2024, five key transportation projects in the city will move into the synchronous construction phase, with completion scheduled between 2024 and 2026.
Specifically: Component Project 1 of the Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 (including Thầy Thuốc Canal Bridge); An Phú intersection; upgrading and expanding National Highway 50; underpass at the Nguyễn Văn Linh - Nguyễn Hữu Thọ intersection; construction of a road connecting Trần Quốc Hoàn Street and Cộng Hòa Street (Tân Bình District).
Of these, two important projects to be completed in 2024 are the Tran Quoc Hoan connecting road to Terminal 3, relieving pressure on Tan Son Nhat Airport, and the Nguyen Van Linh - Nguyen Huu Tho intersection.
According to Ho Chi Minh City leaders, these five projects have received full attention in terms of land allocation, contractors, and funding since the beginning of the year. In 2024, the city's investment capital is nearly 80,000 billion VND, a sum entirely sufficient to fund these projects.
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