Ho Chi Minh City focuses on infrastructure works in its southern part. (Photo: VNA)
The southern area is comprised of districts 7, Nhà Bè and Bình Chánh.
Tran Quang Lam, director of the Department of Transport told Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper that Huynh Tan Phat and Le Van Luong streets in District 7 would be upgraded and Nguyen Huu Tho Street widened from four lanes to six or eight.
Three bridges would be built to replace the decrepit Rach Dia, Long Kien and Rach Tom bridges.
This year the department plans to start construction of the Nguyen Khoai Bridge over the Kenh Te canal to connect districts 4 and 7.
The bridge will cost 1.2 trillion VND (51.8 million USD).
It is expected to reduce congestion on the Kenh Te Bridge during peak hours.
The department also plans to upgrade National Highway No.50 between the city and Long An province.
According to the department, the People’s Committee has approved 830 billion VND for building two tunnels at the Nguyen Van Linh-Nguyen Huu Tho intersection.
The tunnels will have a length of 480m and width of 13.7m.
They are expected to ease the congestion at the intersection.
The city will also continue to solicit investment in and speed up procedures for public-private partnership (PPP) projects.
In the last decade the southern area has got many infrastructure projects, with the city spending 115 trillion VND (4.9 billion USD) last year alone.
With development, the city hopes the southern area will ease the population burden in the more central areas.
