To improve traffic in HCM City, the local authorities have completed a priority list of key traffic infrastructure works that need US$250 million from now to 2010.

Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Road, HCM City.

Two of the major works are the North-South and East-West corridors, with the former running from District 12 through downtown to Nhe Be District, and the latter from Binh Chanh District through Districts 8, 6, 5, 3, 1, the Sai Gon River and District 2 to the Hanoi Highway.

Phase one of the North-South corridor has been completed, with work having been started on phases two and three, including the three bridges Rach Dia, Ba Chiem and Phuoc Kien.

The total investment is estimated at VND600-700 billion.

Many parts of the East-West corridor have also been complete and been opened to traffic.

However, some works have not been finished, including the Thu Thiem tunnel.

It is expected the construction of the entire corridor will be finished by the end of 2010.

The capital for this project comes from the Japanese ODA and the city’s budget.

Other major works are the East and West gateways, which are located in areas of high density of traffic that often see serious congestion.

The investment for the East gateway is estimated at VND1 trillion, including site clearance and compensation for displaced households.

Expenses are being paid in advance by the Technical Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company.

At the West gateway, along with accelerating the construction of the East-West Highway, the department has called for additional investment in the project to expand Provincial Road 10 and connecting it with the southern province of Long An.

About 37 percent of the project has been complete, the department said.

Also included in the list are expansion of Nguyen Van Troi and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Streets in Phu Nhuan District, of which phase one has been completed; the Thu Thiem Bridge in Binh Thanh District and District 2, which has yet to be completed; Phu Long Bridge linking District 12 to neighboring Binh Duong Province, of which 70 percent has yet to be developed; Nguyen Van Tao Street in Nha Be District, of which 50 percent has been completed; and the Tan Son Nhat-Binh Loi-Outer Beltway project, for which site clearance and compensation are underway.

In addition, under the plan for transport and traffic development by 2020, the city will build four overhead passes, including Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe and To Hien Thanh-Lu Gia-Lac Long Quan-Beltway II.

Each overhead pass will cost trillions of dong.

Investors have been identified for three of the four overhead passes and they are setting up investment projects, said the department.

It also said the projects to build metro system should be started soon to help ease pollution and traffic jams.

Each metro line may cost billions of US dollars and the city is seeking funding for these projects.

VietNamNet/SGGP